Harry Flitwick
by Amarylle
Summary: What would happen, if after the fateful night of James and Lily Potter's murder, the Dursley family were out of town, with no one to take baby Harry? How would being raised by a Master Dueller affect the child of Prophecy? Slightly AU. (Revision Update: 2/13 done)
1. Privet Drive

**Disclaimer:** The wonderful world of Harry Potter and the canon characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am only borrowing them to write for my and other people's enjoyment, without any intention of profiting from it. I thank this creative lady for blessing us with such a rich ground to build up our creativity on!

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 **A/N:** I am currently in the process of revising the first thirteen chapters to have them flow a little bit better, before continuing to write the rest. I might also correct a few issues I seemed to encounter with the time-line, but there will still be things that will remain as they were, like Fudge's earlier involvement.

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Number Four, Privet Drive was an ordinary address, with an ordinary house and an ordinary car parked in front of an ordinary front garden. Mr. and Mrs Dursley – the tenants of this house – were proud to be as normal, as people were ought to be in their opinion. This family did not like to stand out from being perfectly average, in fact, they were thrilled to be mundane. They loathed anything strange or mysterious and they feared to be part of such.

Vernon Dursley was a large, beefy man, with a thick mustache on his puffed up face. He married Petunia, a tall, blonde woman, who appeared to be sickly thin, with a neck that was slightly longer than normal. Together, they also had an infant son, whose name was Dudley.

They thought of their lives as perfect. Mr. Dursley held a job that provided well for his family financially, and Mrs. Dursley was content being a housewife, who cared for their child and hosted small gatherings for her husband and his important co-workers.

The only downside of their bliss was, that they had a secret that would ruin their image of being perfectly ordinary, if it ever came to light. Petunia had a sister, who married a Lord. Now, that wasn't the part that they wanted to hide. The problem was, that Lord and Lady Potter were anything but ordinary, and that severely strained the relationship between the sisters.

James and Lily Potter were gifted by the ability to use magic. Their world was as un-Dursley-like, as it could possibly be. It was a world of witches and wizards, dragons and unicorns, potions and cauldrons and wooden sticks that functioned as wands. It was a world far behind the progression of its non-magical counterpart. It was a world where they used quill to write on parchment with ink, where they used owls to deliver letters, and where they had no inkling of what electricity even was.

The magical world was also dangerous. Next to the wonders of being able to fly on brooms, or being able to heal someone with a flick of a wand, there was an underlying fear to the use of dark spells, poisonous potions and curses that were fatal to those they struck.

It was one such curse, the darkest of them all, that made a huge impact on the magical world.

There was an evil individual, whom sworn to cleanse their world of those, who were in his opinion unfit to use magic, and those who defied his claim to rule over Magical Britain. He sparked a war between him and his followers, against those who believed his ideals to be barbaric and outdated. There was a lot of loss on the Light side of the conflict, with many going into hiding.

The Potters were one of the families, who had reason to disappear from public eye. There was a _Prophecy_ surrounding their one year old son, that forebode the fall of the Dark Lord, at his hand. They had hid in a house that was under an ancient protection spell. The only person who knew their location was the _Keeper_ of their most precious secret.

As it happened, they trusted the wrong friend with their lives. Peter Pettigrew had betrayed them. He joined the cult of Voldemort – called _Death Eathers_ – and led him to their sanctuary, leading to the death of his ex-best friends, and the attempted murder of their child, Harry Potter.

The curse that changed many lives, especially those effected by the _Prophecy_ , was the _Killing Curse._ One fateful Halloween night, when Pettigrew betrayed the Potters, the evil overlord's spirit lost its shell with the curse being reflected on him – from casting it on the child – ending his reign of terror.

Even the muggle world got wind of this event, as the celebrations had spilled from magical to mundane territory, with a lot of people dressed in strange and colourful robes, out and about in plain sight. On top of that, flocks of owls were flying around the area, which was a rather unusual sighting in Surrey.

Vernon Dursley was walking among the peculiarly dressed people, when a certain name had caught his attention, so he slowed down to eavesdrop on the conversation between an elderly man and a rather cheerful looking middle-aged woman.

"The Potters, that's right, rather unfortunate what happened to them." The man whispered, leaning close to his company.

"And poor little Harry, all alone in the world." Sighed the lady, and Mr. Dursley stopped dead in his tracks, as a cold dread had suddenly flooded him.

He decided to quickly turn around and head home to Petunia. If something happened to that blasted sister of hers, he did not want to be responsible for their little brat, and he knew that his wife would agree. They had Dudley's safety in mind, as a priority. He wasn't a particularly smart man, but he was aware that even though the names Potter and Harry on their own weren't a rarity, together with the weirdly cloaked people waving wooden sticks around, it could only mean _one thing_.

As he reached his destination, his eyes fell upon a tabby cat, who seemed to be looking at him in a rather un-cat-like manner, as if being a cat was only a disguise. He frowned at the animal, and attempted to swat at it.

"Shoo, you blasted fur-pile!" He grumbled, and when it didn't move an inch, he decided to force the bothersome feline away, throwing the poor thing off the garden wall. He didn't look to see if it was alright, he rather moved to make his way towards the entrance to his house. He grabbed his key, and turned it in the key-hole, pushing his way right inside.

Petunia greeted him with a rather timid kiss on the cheek, but one look at her husband had the blonde woman worried. Vernon appeared to be both white as a sheet, and red as a crab, which was a most curious feat to accomplish at the same time. His eyes were reflecting anger and fear.

Mrs. Dursley was correct to be concerned.

"Pack our suitcases at once, Pet! We need to go away for a while and we need to do it now!" He hurried her along, his voice deep, and laced with determination.

"Vernon, what are you talking about? What happened?" She asked, confusion apparent on her face.

" _The Potters._ " He uttered, and his wife went rigid. "Something big happened in that blasted world of theirs, and I overheard that their son, Harold, or Harrison... _No_ , Harry! Yes, their son, _Harry_ , is apparently alone now. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be responsible for the tiny freak." He explained, as he ushered her into their bedroom to gather their essentials.

Petunia's heart sank in her chest. If Lily's son was alone, that could only mean that what her sister came to warn her about had come to pass. They were murdered by the madman that was after her nephew. The tall woman was not close to her sister. Ever since her Hogwarts letter first arrived, and their parents had found out that they had a witch in the family, all the attention centered around Lily. Mrs. Dursley envied her, and she felt very much left out by all that wonder and curiosity. She even wrote to the Headmaster of that exclusive school to see if she could at least visit, only to be disappointed. It was not difficult to start resenting what rejected her in the first place, and with that they have become estranged.

Lily's death struck her nonetheless. Even with all the bad blood between them, she did not wish harm to her, however she didn't want to be burdened by the responsibility of taking care of her offspring, especially because she was certain he wouldn't be ordinary either.

"Right. Let's take a vacation for a few weeks, at least." She agreed, and started to pack piles of clothes on top of other piles of clothes, neatly placing other tid-bits that she knew they would need into suitcases, and turned to go to the nursery to do the same with Dudley's belongings as well.

"That's my little pumpkin!" Vernon cooed to the baby in the crib, carefully lifting him out, and getting him ready for travel.

"Are you sure that they won't find us?" Petunia asked. "These might be freaks, but they are powerful." She frowned, as she zipped up their luggage.

Her husband steeled himself, gave their son to his wife, and went to grab his shotgun from it's secret hiding place. "I will shoot their heads right off their shoulders, if they try!" He promised.

While Mr. Dursley wasn't a particularly nice man, he was fiercely loyal to his family. He loved his wife with a passion, and he _doted_ on Dudley. Anyone or anything threatening them would have him to deal with, and that was a _promise_. _No freaks would stand in Vernon Dursley's way!_

The tall woman nodded, and left the room to walk into the kitchen, putting together some food to last them for a few days, while feeding his hungry son some snacks. Once she filled a deep woven basket with edible goods, and added some water and juice to tide them over, she placed it on top of the kitchen table, and waited for Vernon to put everything in the car.

It was night time when the Dursley family drove away into some unknown, but most likely ordinary location, to hide from the magical folk.

The cat that was previously thrown off the garden wall, made it's way back to the house, slighty limping, courtesy of the rude man. The cat, that was not really a cat, had gazed over a street corner, where a rather tall, elderly man appeared out of nowhere. He was wearing a thin purple cloak, his long silver hair reaching just below his lower back, with a beard almost as long as his hair. He looked around, as if he was lost, until his gaze rested on the tabby cat, a slight twinkle appearing in his eyes.

The man chuckled to himself and pulled out a most curious object from one of his pockets. It was small and silver, and when he clicked it, the nearest light flickered and faded. He repeated this motion a few times, until the whole street was completely engulfed in darkness.

"Professor McGonagall! What a pleasure to be in your company." He nodded towards the spot the cat was previously sitting on, but he found himself face to face with a stern looking woman, who appeared to be knackered, and slightly angry. She had been watching the Dursleys the _whole_ day, and she was _not_ impressed at all. She frowned at the sharp pain she felt in her left ankle, but she would have to take care of that later, as she had more pressing matters to attend to.

"Headmaster Dumbledore." She returned his greeting curtly. "How are the celebrations?" She inquired, knowing that Albus had attended a fair many of them thus far. She would have accompanied him, but he tasked her with watching this family of three instead, so she had no other choice.

"Most splendid, if I do say so myself. I have passed by dozens of feasts, and flavoured many culinary delicacies, but enough of that..." He said. "What did you find out?" He asked, his gaze traveling to the house, and even though it was dark, he could see the outlines of the brick building.

"Albus, these are the most infuriating, self-centered, selfish people that I have ever had the displeasure to _'meet'_ in my life." She blurted out, and the wizard raised an eyebrow. " _Why_ did you ask me to observe them in the first place?" She asked, her eyes fixated on his.

"This is the _only_ family _he_ has now." He admitted, and the old witch's face was drained of all colour.

"You cannot be serious! _You cannot let them raise him!_ " She spluttered in indignation, shrugging off the touch that her company no doubt figured would be a calming one.

"I have _no_ other choice. It's imperative that Harry stays with his Aunt and Uncle. I have written them a letter, in which I explained everything." Dumbledore said firmly.

"A letter _?_ How could you possibly explain these matters in a _letter_? They can't possibly understand him! Harry Potter _needs_ to be raised among his own kind. He is a hero – _a legend_ – everyone will know his name and his history. No muggle would come close to grasping what he's been through!" She raised her voice, her ire apparent in her words.

" _Exactly._ " He agreed. "What he accomplished would be enough to turn _anyone's_ head. Famous before he can even talk! Famous for something that he won't even remember... The boy will need a sense of _normalcy_ , there is no need to needlessly overwhelm him!" He explained, like talking to a small child, and the witch sighed in defeat.

"Yes, of course. You have a point... How is he getting here?" She asked.

"Oh, Hagrid is bringing him." He smiled a serene smile.

" _What?!_ " She asked incredulously. "You let that..." She took a deep breath to gather herself, before she accidentally insulted the kind half-giant. "Do you think that's _appropriate_? Given the circumstances..."

"I trust Hagrid with my life." Came the simple reply.

"I am not saying that he isn't trustworthy, but Albus, you have to admit he is rather, um, _clumsy_." She pointed out, when suddenly a faint rumbling sound was audible in the distance, and it grew steadily louder as they looked up to the sky. A huge motorcycle with an enormous individual on board had soon landed next to them.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall." He greeted them, and got off the monstrosity that he arrived with, carefully holding a bundle of blankets in his huge, beefy arms.

"Hagrid, as glad as I am to see you, just where did you get this motorcycle?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. He had never seen this vehicle before, so he was unsure whom it belonged to.

"Oh, I borrowed it from Sirius Black." He explained, and looked down at the small boy peacefully sleeping in his arms. His eyes were moist, and he had to blow his nose from the gathering emotions he was feeling.

The witch and wizard both leaned forward to look at the slumbering baby ensconced in the fluffy blanket protection. The baby boy had a soft tuft of black hair, and over his forehead they saw a curious lightning bolt shaped scar.

"Is that where...?" McGonagall trailed off, her voice trembling.

"Indeed." He confirmed. "I am afraid he is going to wear that scar his whole life."

"Can't you do something about it?" She asked hopefully, only to be disappointed.

"Even if I could, I would not. _Scars can be useful._ Anyway, we must hurry, before anyone realizes that we are here and suspicions begin to arise." He said, and motioned for Hagrid to hand Harry over to him.

"Could I please say goodbye to him first?" The half-giant sniffled, leaning over the tiny baby to place a clumsy kiss on his forehead, only to burst into tears.

"Shh!" McGonagall urged him. "Quiet yourself, or we will be found out. I know you will miss him, so will I, but this _must_ be done!" She said, hiding the fact that she saw the Dursley family going away _indefinitely_. She would take care of these matters later, just as soon as she was able to.

"S-s-sorry!" He mumbled tearfully, as he attempted to get a handle on himself, placing Harry in a basket, on the doorstep of the house, and stepping backwards to let Dumbledore place the letter over the snoozing form of the child.

"Well, we must be going now! There is no point in staying here any longer." The elderly wizard said firmly, and ushered his companions further from the house. "We might as well join the celebrations in his honour!" He added, as if that would make things easier.

"Right..." Hagrid muttered, wiping his tear-streaked face with his sleeves, and got back on the motorcycle once more, looking at the Professors. "Goodnight Headmaster, Professor McGonagall!" He muttered moodily, and took off to the sky.

"I suppose I will see you soon, Professor McGonagall." Dumbledore nodded towards the witch, who was still gazing over the child they were supposed to abandon here.

"Of course." Minerva replied and popped away, as she knew that she needed to keep up certain pretenses. She made her way towards _Gringotts Bank_ , rather stealthily, as everyone was focused on celebrating the fall of Voldemort.

Minerva McGonagall had no intention of leaving Harry Potter to the fate, the great Albus Dumbledore was dooming him to, but she couldn't act while he was around, because he would most definitely _stop_ her, and she was aware that he wouldn't hold back from _Obliviating_ her if he had to. The wizard was a great asset to the Light side of the war, but the Transfiguration Professor knew that he worked in the _Grey_ areas more often than not.

Dumbledore was left standing on Privet Drive, once again using his silver contraption to reverse the effects of it. The street was bathed in the dimmed light of the lamp posts once more, as he leaned over the boy and said his own goodbyes.

"Good luck Harry Potter! Merlin knows you will _need_ it." He whispered, and turned around on his heel, disappearing into the night.

It was not long after that, that a small number of goblin warriors appeared on the street, and took the child into their protective custody, until the Potters' will could be read. No one saw them move, and no one would know about this, until it would be too late to change things.

Professor McGonagall was true to the trust and respect her favourite students had in her. She protected Harry Potter, as he deserved to be protected. Now it was up to _Fate_ itself to decide what happened next.

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 **A/N:** I had this idea about having Professor Flitwick raise Harry, because that would most certainly put an interesting twist on things. I have to say that **_Harry Crow_** is one of my inspirations, mostly for the goblin angle, however I won't use any goblin characters of _**robst**_ 's, I just wanted to acknowledge him for the inspiration.

I would also like to say that I did re-word and re-work the Dumbledore-McGonagall scene from Chapter 1 of the first book, because I didn't want to include an excerpt that long from the book, so I used my own imagination. _**However what seems familiar to you, I do not claim to be my own.**_

Thank you for your time, and I hope you will enjoy reading this!


	2. Gringotts

Diagon Alley was bursting with life and noise, as it was filled with witches and wizards of all ages wearing an assortment of cloaks and robes of all sizes and colour. The celebrations were in full swing, and it was a much deserved activity to the war-worn public.

Businesses were finally able to be open again, without fear of _Death Eaters_ swarming the locale, doing damage and murdering citizens. Parents could finally take a much needed breath of fresh air, and let their restless children come out and play with each other again. Laughter and excitement was loud and clear in the air, as families rejoiced in their hard-earned freedom and safety.

Colourful streamers were magically swirling around, and there were spells of fireworks and vibrant sparks going off at every direction. Goblets were filled with _Butterbeer_ , _Fire Whiskey_ and _Pumpkin Juice_ for the little ones, as they cheered for a new era of _peace_.

They _all_ paid their respect to James and Lily Potter and the _Saviour_ of their kind, Harry Potter.

Minerva McGonagall was walking towards _Gringotts Wizarding Bank_ , to seek the aid of the _Goblin Nation_ , unnoticed. She had to move quickly, and without drawing too much attention to herself, because if Albus Dumbledore got wind of her intentions, she would be _toast._ The old wizard would most likely _Obliviate_ her on the spot, to remove and modify some of her memories. It was also a possibility that he would even discharge her from her position at _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_ , thus she couldn't afford any mistakes.

 _This would have to be done swiftly, and immediately._

She walked up to the stairs of the imposing marble building, and took a deep breath to calm herself, before moving towards the goblins guarding the entrance. They nodded in her direction to let her know that she could move past them. They had the ability to see through _Polyjuice Potion_ , and other identity modifications, which is how they earned their current job posts.

She entered through the bronze doors, and arrived at a small _Entrance Hall_ , that had another set of doors, also guarded by goblins. These goblins looked slightly more dangerous than their previous colleagues did. Their gaze pierced through the witch's soul, and the taller one's eyes widened slightly, while his expression darkened, making him look positively vicious.

"Professor McGonagall..." He greeted her with a low rumbling voice. "Your business is very _dangerous_ to undertake." He warned sharply, and her lips straightened into a tight thin line.

"Good evening." She said politely, a touch of ire present in her disposition. "I am aware of the nature of the situation, but it is _necessary_ that these matters are taken care of as soon as possible." She pressed on.

Minerva was not surprised that the goblin was aware of her purpose, as even though it wasn't widely known in wizarding circles, the goblins at the _Entrance Hall_ were well-versed in the goblin equivalent of _Legilimency_. It was another security measure that the _Leader_ of their _Nation_ had installed.

The goblins were a race of incredibly intelligent creatures, and it dumbfounded her how her kind treated them as inferior. _She knew better._ It was foolish that they thought the goblins were comfortable with that poorly arrangement, yet they were _still_ trusted with their valuables and gold. She always believed it to be an unusual oddity of the Magical World.

"Very well." The dark skinned goblin nodded curtly. "I shall escort you to our Director. I am afraid no other goblin has permission to deal with these circumstances." He rumbled, and gave some instructions to his companion, who nodded, and pulled out a most curious little gadget, which he used to summon a replacement.

Once they moved from the entryway towards the _Main Hall_ , the atmosphere changed. The marble walls encased several dozen bronze coloured counters, where witches and wizards could bring their business to. There were hundreds of goblin tellers working on this level of the establishment, even at this late hour, when barely anyone visited, after all they had more obligations, than simply assisting with withdrawals and exchanging money.

The stern witch was led to a small silver door, that was invisible if you weren't specifically looking for it. Her goblin guide reached out his hand, and waved his elongated fingers in a complex pattern, while mumbling an ancient non-verbal spell inside his mind.

The door shimmered transparent, before solidifying itself, and they were allowed entry. Two goblins appeared by their side, their eyes slanted and sharp, their ears pointed and leaning backwards. They were wearing delicately worked silver armour, with swords strapped on their substantial waists.

"Eanraig, Eban." He nodded to them. "We need to see The Director, it's rather important." He explained, and they stared at him and the witch for a few seconds, before leading them through a narrow corridor, and down a few levels, towards another invisible door.

This time, the both of them had to prick their fingers with a delicate ivory knife, to work the blood magic that was woven into the material of the door for it to become visible. The gate was a striking golden colour, with ornaments carved into the sides, laced with strange symbols that were a mystery to the Hogwarts Professor.

Eban and Eanraig stood back and waited patiently. They did not have access to The Director's office, but whenever the entryway was revealed, he was notified. Soon enough, a rather intimidating goblin adorned in the highest quality clothing appeared.

"I am Ragnok, _The Director_ of our _Nation_." He introduced himself, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the aged witch, who was visibly taken aback by his presence.

It was unprecedented that someone from the _Wizarding World_ would meet with such an important influence among the goblins. Minerva felt humbled and slightly overwhelmed by the prospect, her hands trembling under the cover of the long sleeves of her robes.

"A pleasure to meet you, Director. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." She eventually spoke, and after steeling herself, she continued. "I've come to seek your aid and guidance on a matter of utmost importance."

"Please come inside, and let us sit and discuss what ails you." Ragnok gestured for them to follow him, and walked towards his desk, sitting behind it.

McGonagall slowly walked inside the office, and her jaw dropped from shock and wonder. The room was a breathtaking sight of intricate décor and expensive taste. While the outer rooms of the building were carved from marble, this room was carved from granite, giving the space a presence of _power_. The walls were dressed up with works of art, and to her surprise, the pieces weren't only of goblin origin, but also non-magical.

She didn't have time to wonder about that however, because the goblin guide tapped her back to break her stupor, and urged her to sit down. She gracefully lowered herself on a dragon-hide arm-chair and faced The Director.

"I have come to ask for your help with the placement of Harry Potter." She said in quiet respect, and with that, it was like she sucked all the air out from the spacious room. The large goblin looked at her with icy eyes, his whole demeanor changing from somewhat relaxed to guarded.

"We do not have influence over _Wizarding_ matters, Professor." He said with steel in his deep drawl. "We are _not_ in charge of the placement of _Magical Infants_ , nor do we wish to meddle in such that could spark _another_ war between our kinds." He added, alluding to the _Goblin Rebellion_ in _1612_.

Minerva sucked in a breath, and pressed on, her resolve unwaivering, knowing that the child's life depended on the help of the goblins, otherwise she did not know what else she could try to save him from the fate Albus planned to force on him.

"I understand that, and I do not wish to tear up any old wounds, or inspire a new conflict." She nodded curtly. "However, I feel as though the Headmaster – Albus _meddlesome is his middle name_ Dumbledore – had taken an unhealthy interest in the child, and I would like to prevent any other tragedies happening to him. It was more than enough that he lost his parents... To be stuck with an _Uncle_ and an _Aunt_ that clearly _detest_ anything out of the ordinary, would _doom_ young Mr. Potter to a life of hardship and possibly abuse, and that is something that no innocent child deserves." She began, looking the goblin straight in the eyes, watching as his expression darkened. "I know for a fact that the relationship between Lily Potter and her sister was estranged. There is _no_ way that she would have allowed that woman to take care of her son, which is why I have come to you with a suggestion. I am aware that the Potters drafted a will before they went into hiding, and I would like to ask you to read it." She finished, her hands shaking from nerves.

"Unfortunately, unless Lord and Lady Potter filed their will with Gringotts, rather than the _Ministry of Magic_ , my hands are tied." He said, and pulled out a golden contraption, speaking into it in a language that was foreign to the Professor. "I summoned the _Head of the Potter Accounts_ to come over, to find out if we have any sort of legal ground over Harry Potter. If we do, you have my word that we will take the child into our custody, until the will can be read to the appropriate bodies." He promised, and stood up to let the short goblin in.

"Griphook! This is Professor McGonagall of Hogwarts, and she brought the matter of Harry Potter to our attention. You are the _Head of the Potter Accounts_ , so we have a question for you." He said, and the tiny creature nodded, looking at his superior patiently. "Did you acquire the will of James and Lily Potter, or did it go to opposite channels?" He inquired.

"It's an honour to be in your presence, Director Ragnok!" Griphook bowed politely. "Yes, Lord and Lady Potter had indeed handed me a copy of their will. I remember they instructed me not to give it to anyone from the Ministry. In fact, I just had someone ask about the Potter will a few minutes ago, and they were _incredibly angry_ when I refused to cooperate." He grinned menacingly.

Ragnok's eyebrows went up to his hairline. " _Really?_ Did you catch this individual's name?" He asked in a hushed tone of urgency.

Griphook nodded. "It was _Albus Dumbledore_."

Minerva's features hardened at hearing that Albus was attempting to meddle with matters that had absolutely nothing to do with him, and she was even more certain now that her judgment of the situation was right. _How dare the Headmaster poke his crooked nose into matters that did not concern him?_ She was shaking with anger, and the goblins looked to her direction with interest.

" _Albus Dumbledore has no right to meddle in Harry Potter's life!_ " She gritted between her teeth. "Please see to it that the will is read to the appropriate bodies. I know that my job was merely to alert you, as I do not have a right to become involved any further either." She stood up.

"Now that I am aware the will is in our hands, you have my word we _will_ take care of this." The Director promised to her. He did not care about witches and wizards, but his regard for this particular witch grew a bit. "We will notify you, if you are mentioned in the will. We will also send word that young Harry Potter is in safe hands, after we dealt with the situation at hand. Thank you for your persistent determination in seeing to a small child's fate." He said, and dismissed the guide and the witch, turning to the warriors that remained.

"Eban, Eanraig!" He called out. "Take a few warriors with you, and go at once to take Harry Potter into our protective custody!" He ordered them.

The goblin guards marched off to do their duty with honour, leaving _The Director_ and the _Head of the Potter Accounts_ alone in the imposing goblin's office, and they had much to discuss.

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 **A/N:** I invented some goblins for the purpose of this story, and I would like to share their names and jobs with you below:

 _ **Eanraig**_ and _**Eban**_ : They are _Goblin Warriors_ , and kin of one another. Eban is an almost black goblin, while Eanraig has lighter skin, however he is more ruthless.

 _ **Master Sharpspin**_ : He is a highly regarded _Master Swordsman_. The Nation's most skilled warrior. Studying under him is an honour. He is Eanraig's and Ebans father.

 _ **Master Goldmind**_ : He is the eldest, and wisest goblin _Scholar_ in the Goblin Nation. He pretty much knows _everything_ about magic, goblin, or otherwise. _The Director_ and _The Leader_ often seeks his wisdom.

 _ **Healer Zaire**_ : He is a goblin _Healer_ , with an affinity in goblin elemental magic, which he uses towards his advantage.

And of course _**Ragnok**_ and _**Griphook**_ are goblins invented by J. K. Rowling, however their jobs are not the same. Ragnok is _The Director_ and Griphook is the _Head of the Potter Accounts_.

Also I would like to thank you for the overwhelming amount of favourites and follows, I was stunned! I hope you will enjoy this chapter! It was a bit intimidating to live up to the reaction to the first chapter, but I hope I did it justice.


	3. Defying Dumbledore

Albus Dumbledore was in a jolly good mood. He just did the Greater Good a great service by placing Harry Potter with his non-magical family. He would grow up without the corruption his fame would cause him. Those relatives of his would teach him normalcy and humility. He would learn how to be humble, and how to abide by the rules that he was sure he would ignore, if he grew up with the familiarity of his magic.

In all honesty, the old wizard had no solid knowledge about the Dursley family. All he knew, all he thought was important, was that Petunia Dursley was Lily Potter's sister, thus the blood protection she preformed on her son, would protect him if he was under the roof of a house he called his home, living with someone, who was related to him on his mother's side.

Naturally, he strengthened the wards of Number Four, Privet Dive, adding in a few unnoticeable tracking and detection charms, that he keyed in to monitor Harry's movement. Furthermore, he also performed some magic over Harry as well.

Albus made sure to examine his curious scar, as it oozed dark energy. He had his suspicions confirmed, when he cast a complex Horcrux detection spell over the infant. It was a grim Headmaster that had to make some incredibly hard decisions, but he knew that it was imperative the Prophecy was honoured.

Fate had doomed Harry Potter to a short life, but he would make sure that he wouldn't die in vain. Albus Dumbledore would take on the mantle of ridding Magical Britain of Voldemort, once the last scion of House Potter laid all the ground work, of course.

He would be his mentor, only sharing small breadcrumbs of information and let him figure out the rest, as he knew he would. He would keep him on a path of tentative timidness, yet he would nurture the bravery of Gryffindor in him. He would let him have some fun as well, after all The-Boy-Who-Lived couldn't die without experiencing his first crush, his first kiss, maybe even his first shag.

Yes. Definitely his first sexual experience, after all he would have to ensure the Potter line wouldn't die with young Harry. He could probably officiate a Betrothal Contract between him and a witch, who was deserving of the title of Lady Potter. It seemed like an excellent idea, that made his mood even jollier.

The Weasley family was firmly on the Light side of the war, they were his most trusted subjects. They had six children, with Molly currently being pregnant with her daughter. That daughter would be perfect for his plans. The Potter line would live on, and the Weasley family would enjoy the Potter wealth, after all they deserved it.

He would have to refine those intentions later, as he had a task of great importance to undertake. He needed to get control of the Potter will, otherwise his careful planning would go to waste and the Greater Good would suffer. That would be so tragic and preposterous, that it was simply unthinkable.

The aged wizard apparated in front of the Ministry of Magic, and pushed his way towards the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, where James Potter used to work as an Auror. He figured that if he drafted a will, it would be filed with his boss.

It would be very easy to ask them to hand over the documents. He held so many titles, that it would be child's play to manipulate the puppets to bend to his will, like taking candy from a toddler.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. On top of that, he also held the honour of an Order of Merlin, First Class. The wizarding public was putty in his hands. He was also eligible for being the Minister of Magic a few times, but he much preferred controlling the person who had that position, rather than losing his precious influence in other bodies of significance.

However, the Head of the Aurors, Madame Bones, was a very clever witch, to out-wit her, he would need to be careful and subtle. He could manage that, after all she was no Dumbledore.

"My dear, Amelia! How lovely it is to see you." He smiled gently in the fetching witch's direction. "You look marvellous tonight." He complimented her.

Amelia Susan Bones looked up from her desk, which was covered in towering stacks of paperwork. She adjusted the circle shaped glasses over her nose and sighed. She was incredibly tired and worn out and she lacked the patience and tenacity that was needed to deal with the manipulative Headmaster.

"Dumbledore." She nodded curtly. She was no fool, thus she was aware that he only complimented her, because he wanted something from her. He wanted something that only she could grant, and she decided that there was no way in hell that she would abide by his wishes. She had a deep distaste for wizards and witches, who used their influence to get what they want, and even though the wizarding public looked up to Dumbledore, – _like he was Merlin_ –, she knew better. "What's the purpose of your visit in my department? I assumed that you would be out there, celebrating."

"Amelia, you look tired." The old wizard said, his eyes twinkling in the light of her office. "Maybe I can help you share the heavy load of your paperwork?" He offered innocently.

Madame Bones was becoming very alert now. "My paperwork is confidential, Albus, and you are aware of that." She stated with ire. "Only I handle it, no one else, not even the Supreme Mugwump of the ICW has permission to look into it." She narrowed her eyes. "I know for a fact that Minerva handles the administration at Hogwarts, so I am surprised at your blatant attempt at looking into where your nose clearly does not belong."

The Headmaster was floored. No one was supposed to look through him like that, and that she did, irritated him immensely. He smiled a tight smile, but the twinkle in his eyes faded. He would have to be firmer with the witch now.

"Amelia, I am sure I did nothing to warrant such behaviour."

"On the contrary, Dumbledore. You barged into my office, in the middle of the night, and attempted to worm your way into looking at my confidential documents. I am tired and still have a long night of work ahead of me, so cut the dragon crap and tell me why you are here." She said, raising her voice and looking at him with steel in her eyes.

She had a good idea why he was here and she had no intention in helping him in any way, shape or form.

"Very well, Madame Bones." He switched to official language, as his informality failed. "I would like to ask, if James Potter filed a will with the Ministry?" He got straight to the point of the matter.

"I was informed that the Potters did draft a will, however what is it to you?" She asked, nudging him to bare his cards, for her to see.

"It is imperative that the will is in the right hands. As I am sure you are aware, there are still Death Eaters out there, who would do anything to get their hands on the Potter wealth." He explained, like he was talking to a small child.

"Of course." She nodded. "Who would these perfectly noble hands belong to, Headmaster? Please enlighten me." She asked in a mock-innocent tone, fiddling with her fingers, miming nervous energy.

"Madame Bones, there is no need for your sarcastic by-play. Please behave in a manner that is fit for your rank and position." The wizard said irritably and was about to _'enlighten'_ her, when she lifted her hands to make him stop.

Amelia stood up and walked around her desk, facing down the tall Headmaster, like no one did before. "Listen to me Albus Dumbledore! You have no right to come into my office and tell me how to conduct myself, when your sole purpose is to manipulate me and my position into giving you the Potters' will. It will not happen. Even if they filed with the Ministry, – which thank Merlin they did not –, I would not help you to get a hold of it, as it would be read to the appropriate bodies in a private reading." She enlightened him instead.

Albus Dumbledore's jolly good mood was broken and battered by the time the attractive witch was finished with him, and practically threw him out of her office. He was gobsmacked at the treatment that he received. He was not used to such defiance. Amelia behaved like a small child, when they throw a fit. He would have to do something to tame her behaviour at some point, but right now he needed to head over to Gringotts.

There was only one other official establishment that the Potters could have filed their will with, and that was the Wizarding Bank of Magical Britain.

He strolled through the bronze gates of the marble building, not giving a second glance to any pair of goblins guiding the entrances. He made his way towards one of the counters and requested a meeting with the Head of the Potter Accounts.

The short, balding goblin, with the pointy ears and slanted amber eyes appeared instantly, giving the wizard an unfriendly look.

"Welcome to Gringotts! I am Griphook, Head of the Potter Accounts. What can we do for you today?" He muttered the official words they were all instructed to greet their clients with.

Dumbledore sighed and put on his friendliest expression. Dealing with the goblins was always tricky business, and he would need to have more tact that he had with Madame Bones, or he would be thrown out of here with a notice of broken contracts and that would be unimaginable.

"I would like to put in an inquiry about a certain will." He said cautiously.

"Very well. What family does this will belong to?" The goblin asked as a formality, as he only had authority to deal with the Potter Accounts.

"I would like to ask information about the will of James and Lily Potter. It is imperative that I am permitted to read it." He said with a stare so intense, the goblin would probably be intimidated, if he was not a goblin.

"Very well." Griphook drawled and decided to have some fun, as he absolutely loathed wizards, especially manipulative bastards like this one seemed to be. "What's your name?" He asked.

Dumbledore raised a brow at the question, as the whole wizarding world knew who he was, no matter the species or the rank they held.

"My name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore." He uttered.

"Percival after Albus and Wulfric before Brian and after Percival, but quite before Dumbledore?" He asked with a straight face and received an incredulous nod from the wizard.

The goblin nodded as well and grinned inside. "What's your occupation?" He asked.

"I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." He replied, proudly. "I also hold several official titles of importance."

"What titles are they?" He asked, fully aware of the positions he held, and how they had absolutely no legal ground over the information he sought.

"How is this relevant, Mr. Griphook?" Dumbledore asked curiously, hoping that his titles would give him an edge.

"It's our regular procedure to write down such information about our clients." Griphook explained, while grinning like a demented light bulb inside his head. It would be such fun to share this memory with his superiors and colleagues.

"I see. Well I am the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and hold the honour of an Order of Merlin, First Class." He recited, with the famous twinkle gleaming in his eyes.

"Very well Mr. Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore." He said, leaving out his official first name on purpose, but paying no mind to the Headmaster's apparent disappointment. "Does the Supreme Mugwump of the ICW have jurisdiction over the final testaments of Wizarding Citizens?" He asked seriously.

"It's Albus." He corrected the goblin with frustration and then answered his question with a sigh. "No, but –" He was about to give his reasons, before he was interrupted.

"Very well, Albus." He started, while inside his mind, that demented light bulb of a grin grew even more. He wanted to burst into manic laughter, but that would be so un-goblin-like. "Does the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot have authority in these matters?"

"It's Headmaster Albus Dumbledore to you, Mr. Griphook, please give me the respect of calling me by my proper names." He lectured the goblin, which was a mistake, that he couldn't right, once the words were out of his mouth.

"Headmaster Albus Dumbledore" Griphook started, straightening up significantly. "Let me make something very clear to you. Neither of your titles have the authority to see a deceased wizarding citizens' will, and neither does you being Headmaster of Hogwarts grant you permission to do so, yet for some reason you seem to think you are above the law. Why is that, Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and Order of Merlin, First Class Honoree, that you seem to have this ridiculous idea, that you are someone, who does not have to abide by the same rules the rest of the world do?" The goblin asked, baring his teeth and showing his temper. Play time was over the minute Dumbledore insulted him.

The wizard knew he would be in deep trouble of epic proportions, if he did not fix this somehow. No matter how angry he was becoming, he needed to keep his cool to make amends with the Head of the Potter Accounts, because he needed that will sealed. He needed control of Harry Potter and the Potter will's existence was problematic to that.

"My apologies, Mr. Griphook. I did not mean to insinuate such to your person, nor do I wish to break any of the laws, I did draft a number of them myself, after all." He said, his voice subdued somewhat. "However, it is imperative that I read the Potter will. There are Death Eaters out there, who would do anything in their power to get control of the Potter estate and fortune and that would be tragic, as Voldemort's following would increase their financial support. You see the horror in that scenario, don't you Mr. Griphook?" He asked with a weary expression.

"We at Gringotts, are aware that there are Death Eaters out there, but as far as we know Mr. Harry Potter had defeated the evil madman, who craved power, did he not?" He asked, his eyes boring into the old wizard's orbs. Too bad that he didn't possess the goblin version of Legilimency, otherwise he could see into the no doubt lunatic plans of the Headmaster.

The Goblin Nation knew that Albus Dumbledore was a formidable wizard, and someone, the Light side of the public looked up to, however in goblin circles he was famous for operating in the grey areas. Dumbledore did not care of the means, as long as the outcome served his picture of the Greater Good. A lot of witches and wizards and other creatures, who looked to his wisdom, would be surprised and terrified of some of the choices that he made in the past.

Albus took a deep breath, and had no other choice than to agree, as his plans needed to remain secret, for the Greater Good. "Of course." He said.

"Very well, then unless you are the long-lost great grandfather of Mr. Potter, otherwise related, or named in the will, you have no control over the matter." Griphook said with an air of finality. They both knew that the chances that Dumbledore was named in that will were nil, and he definitely was not a long lost grandfather, no matter how desperately he wished to play that role.

"Unfortunately that is not the case." The old wizard admitted, and controlled the searing anger he was feeling inside.

 _How dare this lowly life form defy his claim to the Potter will?_

"In that case, we cannot do business with you, Headmaster. I bid you a good night!" The goblin nodded and dismissed the spluttering wizard. Once he retreated to his own office, he burst into boisterous laughter and kept hitting his desk in glee.

The Head of the Potter Accounts would be drinking the finest grog he could afford tonight.

That is the moment he was summoned to Director Ragnok's office.

* * *

 **A/N:** I wanted to write a bit about Dumbledore's plans and manipulations and how the Head of the Auror Department and the Head of the Potter Accounts both turned him down, because I felt like we could have a lot of fun with that. These scenes happened before, and at the same time, as the happenings in Chapter 2.

Also, I would like to thank you for all the reviews, favourites and follows and I would like to respond to a few Guest reviews in my Author's Note, as I cannot do it privately:

 **Guest Review #1:** I am glad you like the idea of raising Harry in this manner, it will be definitely interesting to write about it and I am very eager to find out the changes he will have in his personality. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

 **Guest Review #2** : Thank you for such a long, up-lifting review. I was really touched to read that from someone else, even though I completely agree with you. I will not let any negative comments impact my story, especially the pairing. Everyone's entitled to dislike a character, and I respect that, but at the same time Hermione is one of my favourite characters and there is a lot to explore with her, which I definitely intend to do. So don't worry, this is very much a Harry and Hermione story, in fact they might meet sooner than you think. :)

 **Guest Review #3:** You are welcome! Minerva is a very clever witch and often overlooked as one of Dumbledore's most loyal subjects, but a Minerva that defies the Headmaster can be a powerful force of good. I plan to have a great influence of McGonagall in this story. And don't worry, it is very much a Harry/Hermione centered fiction. I love those two. Sparks will fly!

Thank you once more for all the wonderful support for my story guys! You are all amazing and you humble me.


	4. Extracting Harry, imprisoning Sirius

Privet Drive was quiet, as the locale was currently fast asleep in their perfectly ordinary beds. The lamp posts were flickering with a dim light, and the only noise was a stray cat complaining into the night. It was probably hungry, but no one paid attention to the fuzzy animal's quiet plea for food.

The cat jumped and ran away startled, when a few strange creatures suddenly appeared out of nowhere, with a soft click.

These beings were all different sizes and colours. Some had slightly pointed ears, while others had rounded noses and slanted eyes. They were adorned in shiny silver armour, which was decorated with a white carving of a graceful dragon, that was identical on each of their attire, and gave the illusion of being alive. There were swords strapped to each of their waists, and one of them had an intricate axe fixed on their back, that looked threatening. Their legs were covered in the same shiny portective wear, and they wore boots that looked to be made out of animal hide.

"Eban, do you see the child?" His brother, Eanraig asked, as he let the portkey fall back into his pocket.

An almost completely black goblin looked around, familiarizing himself with the area and searching for the infant they were supposed to take into their protective custody. He walked down on the street, – as the portkey did not specify a house number –, until he noticed a basket of blankets.

As he leaned down to pick up the basket with the snoozing Harry Potter in it, he noticed the scar, and his eyes widened for a second, and he started muttering curses in a foreign language.

"What's wrong?" One of his companions asked with a squeaky voice.

"That manipulative old bastard!" Eban exclaimed. "He knew what this scar was, I can sense the spells he had cast over the child, yet he was content to leave him here with that vile thing inside him. Wizards are despicable utter bastards!" He was fuming.

Eanraig walked over to his brother to look at what Eban was talking about, and his expression turned murderous. Harry Potter had a piece of the Dark Lord's soul attached to his forehead, and _'The Great Leader of The Light'_ had just let it happen. He took no time to get the infant checked out by a healer, he just dumped him in front of this muggle home, in the middle of the night, with a _bloody letter_ , and paid no mind to his condition, or the fact that anyone could have just kidnapped, or disposed of him.

"Let's get him back to Gringotts!" He said, his voice laced with anger. "After visiting The Director, I am sure that he will summon Healer Zaire to examine Mr. Harry Potter." The rest of the goblins looked equally mad, but they nodded, so he took out his portkey, and had everyone gather around, with baby Harry in Eban's protective hold.

In a few seconds, they disappeared from Number Four, Privet Drive and appeared in one of the secret rooms of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. They couldn't portkey into the Main Hall, because everyone would have noticed their tiniest companion and asked uncomfortable questions. Eanraig dismissed their fellow warriors and with little Harry Potter in their custody, he and his brother made their way towards Director Ragnok's office, notifying him of their arrival. In a matter of minutes the golden gate opened and they were invited inside.

"I see you have returned safely from your mission!" Ragnok greeted them with a nod and looked at their dark expressions. "Why do you both look like you are ready to throw someone to our Dragons, for a late night snack?" He asked.

"The-Boy-Who-Lived has a Horcrux in his forehead, Director." Eban said, offering him to take a look. "I am certain that Albus bloody Dumbledore is aware of this, because I can sense the spell-work he had cast on him to check." He explained, while The Director took Harry out from the basket, into his arms.

" _What?!_ " He gasped, and his eyes had a look of pure fury. "We need to take care of Headmaster Dumbledore, but first we need to treat Harry here. I can't believe he let this stand, even if he had no knowledge about this matter, we do, yet he did not ask for our aid. He probably has some sort of lunatic plan for the _'Greater Good'_ , that justifies leaving Harry Potter with a Horcrux in his forehead!" His eyes narrowed and he summoned his most trusted Healer.

While waiting for the Healer, Ragnok transfigured one of the arm-chairs into a crib for the infant, and placed him inside, carefully covering him with the blankets, as they were located underground, so the climate was rather on the cold side and he didn't want him to catch a cold.

For a few moments, he forgot that he was in the company of other goblins, as he let his mind wander to his bonded mate, and how they were having difficulties conceiving an heir. It made his mate feel depressed and he was at a loss what to do, because their Healers have tried everything to help already, unfortunately without success.

Therefore this situation with Harry Potter, had made the Director's blood boil with a deeply rooted anger, that he has never felt before. To doom an innocent soul to a life with that disgustingly vile dark matter in his head, revolted him. The fact that the human, who had such darkness attached to him, was the tiny baby, who rid them from the Darkness in the first place, was scandalous.

Director Ragnok vowed to himself, to make Albus Dumbledore pay for not acting as a decent living being should have. He would initiate an investigation into his finances, and at the earliest opportunity, he would terminate his contract with Gringotts. The Headmaster would soon experience how it would be to be persona non grata with their Nation.

Life was about to get really difficult for the old wizard.

Eban and Eanraig looked at each other, when their Director got lost in his thoughts, sharing a knowing nod. They knew about the situation between him and his bonded mate, as they were his most trusted warriors, assigned to protect him and his family. They were personally groomed and tailored into this position by their father, Master Sharpspin.

Sharpspin was The Goblin Nation's most skilled Master Swordsman. To study under him was an incredible honour. Goblins he taught had often raised in rank, like no other. To be the sons of this widely respected warrior, was an honour of it's own. They were tutored by the highest ranking tutors in every subject, clothed in the highest quality fabrics, and dined in the company of the Director, and even met his bonded a few times, which was an incredibly rare gift.

Goblin marriages were one of the most sacred bonds that existed in the world. Goblins respected their bonded mates, and it was customary to keep the female goblins under fierce protection, so to be in the presence of a married female goblin, was a sign of trust, even among their own kind.

There was absolutely no way that a bonded female goblin would be allowed to be in the company of witches and wizards, or other creatures, as there would be bloody entrails on the floor, if they as much as looked at them wrong.

The Director was pulled out of his musings, when he was notified of the Healer's arrival, so he let him inside and greeted him with ire still apparent in his disposition.

"Healer Zaire, a pleasure to be in your company." He said politely. "We have matters to be dealt with and need your guidance and knowledge, to treat it with the most skill possible." He explained and motioned the elderly goblin towards the crib. "This is Mr. Harry Potter. We have just taken him into our protective custody, courtesy of the Potter will, and we have found something disastrous, when looking him over."

The Healer leaned over the child, and caressed the soft black tuft of hair from his forehead, his expression turning grim. Even without actually examining him, he sensed the darkness radiating from the cursed scar, and sensed the small sliver of another soul's essence in it.

"That vile bastard made Horcruxes!" He exclaimed, his voice raw and radiating power. "This is a breach of our Sacred Laws and cannot be ignored!"

The sound and loudness of his voice woke the snoozing baby, who burst into tears. Every pair of eyes in the room turned towards Harry, who just wanted his mommy, but instead of that, his little eyes found weirdly shaped creatures and his nose was smelling weird smells, instead of his mother's delightful aroma.

"Sssh, it's okay." Zaire mumbled softly, trying to control his anger and looked at his companions. "I need to bring him to the Healing Chambers, and have my team ready to begin the Horcrux extraction process. It will take a few hours, as removing a soul fragment from a living being takes longer and is more complicated, than removing a Horcrux from an object." He explained to the goblins, who were listening attentively.

"Very well, Healer Zaire. I trust your judgment, but I want to be present to oversee the process." Director Ragnok demanded. He wouldn't let Harry Potter out of his sight, until he was safely entrusted to the care of his supposed legal guardians.

He had made a promise to Professor McGonagall, and he would honour it.

* * *

Minerva McGonagall lowered herself onto one of the many comfortable couches, that were situated in the Hogwarts Teachers' Quarters and sighed. The past few hours aged her at least ten years, if not more. She felt incredibly angry at the Headmaster, and she was also worried about being found out.

The caring witch knew, that by now the goblins have honoured their end of the deal, and took Harry into their protective custody, because after her visit to Gringotts, she disillusioned herself and went back to Number Four, Privet Drive, to check if he was still there.

She leaned back on the soft cushions and sighed once more. Never in her wildest imagination, would she have assumed, that Abus Dumbledore would abandon a child to that horrible fate, without blinking an eye. She used to look up to the wizard, who radiated power and demanded respect, but her illusions had been truly and thoroughly shattered tonight.

No longer was she oblivious to the Headmaster's manipulations, and no longer would she blindly follow his instructions, like a tamed, house-broken puppy. No! From now on, Minerva McGonagall would stand up for herself and the causes she believed in, no matter how disappointed Albus Dumbledore would be in her.

The Deputy Headmistress no longer desired to walk on the path of obedience. She would be her own person, with her own opinions, and she would fight for justice and equality, not the _'Greater Good'_.

She was interrupted in her pondering, when the door flung open, and the Charms Professor walked inside with a somber expression.

"Filius, my friend!" She greeted the tiny Professor, who had a head of dark hair, that was becoming white in some places.

"Good evening, Minerva!" He squeaked, and sat down in an arm-chair, that was opposite the couch she was sitting on. "Have you been out long? I haven't seen you, since..., You know." He muttered, eluding to the tragedy that shook Flitwick more, than it did any other Professor, as Lily Potter was his apprentice.

The stern witch's expression softened at the sight of her mourning friend, and she stood up, walking over to one of the cabinets and reached for two goblets, and a bottle of Ogden's finest Fire Whiskey.

"Yes. I have spent the day away from the castle." She nodded, and poured the liquid of soft amber colour into their containers, and offered one to the wizard. "Dumbledore tasked me with watching a muggle family of three, while he was out there celebrating..." She huffed and sat back down, taking a sip of her drink, and enjoying the way it burnt her throat and warmed her slightly.

"Really?" Filius asked, his eyebrow reaching his hairline. "That is rather peculiar, isn't it?" He wondered out loud, while accepting the Fire Whiskey and sipping it slowly. "What was the purpose in that, if you don't mind me asking? You seem rather frustrated about it." He tilted his head to the side, his eyes gazing at his friend's sharply defined face.

"I suppose I can tell you, but it's not something to be shared with anyone, at least not for a while." She warned and after Flitwick nodded his consent, she begun her tale about watching the Dursley family all day and describing in great detail what happened once Dumbledore joined her, and how she asked for the aid of the Goblin Nation in her task to protect the youngest Potter.

" _WHAT?!_ " Filius Flitwick was on his feet, his drink spilled, with the goblet falling to the ground, as he was wildly gesturing with his hands, his magical core trickling through his body, ready to unload it's majestic power on the unsuspecting subject of the Professor's anger. "How _dare_ Dumbledore act like a god over Harry Potter's life? How _dare_ he abandon him in front of a muggle home?! Especially _that_ muggle home! Petunia Dursley _loathed_ her sister!" He yelled into the room, and the Transfiguration Professor was glad that she had the intelligence to cast some powerful privacy and silencing spells before sharing her tale.

"I know." She quietly agreed and stood up to place a soothing hand on her friend's shoulder. "That is why I acted on the Potter's behalf and asked the Goblin Nation for help." She smiled a small smile.

"Thank you, Minerva." He grasped her hand in his and squeezed it. "You are the most resourceful witch, that I have ever met, besides the late Lily Potter of course." He said in a sad tone and sighed. "I just know that the Potters are incredibly angry at the Headmaster for his actions." He shared his thoughts. "I feel a bit better, that he is in the custody of the goblins though. They are a just nation, and they will place him with his legal guardians, not those muggle monsters."

"I agree." She said and sat back down. "Now, I will have none of this depression! Director Ragnok assured me he would send word of Harry's placement, so we will know more in a few days!" She reassured the shaking Flitwick. "Let's talk about something that will cheer us up!" She suggested.

The Transfiguration and Charms Professors have spent the next few hours reminiscing about the Potters. The sun was high on the horizon when they went to their respective beds to get some well deserved sleep and dream about a better era for their kind and Harry Potter.

* * *

Sirius Black wasn't as lucky, as he had a lot of trouble on his hands. Once he learned that the Potters were murdered, he instantly knew that one of their best friends had betrayed them. It was a sharp jolt of pain to his chest, as he thought about James and Lily, and his Godson.

He vowed to get revenge, which is why he wasn't fighting Hagrid, as he yanked little Harry out of his arms, and practically stole his motorcycle to take him away.

The enraged Auror took a sharp breath and steeled himself for the task ahead and combed the area for any sign of life. His eye narrowed, as he sensed movement from the right side and saw Peter Pettigrew lean over the rubble of Godric's Hollow, looking for something.

He stepped closer to his former friend and got his wand at the ready, as the small frame of Peter grabbed onto a wand, which he noticed belonged to Voldemort.

"Who would have thought _you_ would end up being enslaved to that devil bastard!" Sirius said, his voice quiet and icy cold.

The blonde wizard turned around startled, his face drained of all colour, and his expression showed fear.

"S-s-sirius, my f-f-friend!" He stuttered. "I j-j-just got h-here." He lied and grabbed onto his own wand, thinking of a spell he could cast, once he needed it.

He knew that this would get ugly soon. Sirius Black was a respected, highly skilled Auror and his own magical power was very weak. He was weak, which is why he succumbed to slavery at the Dark Lord's hand. He couldn't stand the pain he inflicted on him, so he betrayed his best friends. It wasn't hard to choose between his own skin, or someone else's life.

Peter Pettigrew would have sacrificed his own mother for his safety, if he had to. He had no spine.

"How could you betray James and Lily? They loved you." He said and fired a spell at the blonde man, who evaded and started running towards a crowded street.

Sirius was rapidly firing curses at the rat, his judgement clouded by his need to seek revenge on his best friends' death, which is why he was not paying attention to what Peter did. Pettigrew cast the Killing Curse at a dozen muggles, sneering viciously and turning towards Black with a manic expression.

"Y-y-you d-deserve everything, t-that is going t-to c-c-come at y-y-ou!" He said with a cackle, as he blasted off one of his own fingers and before Sirius could react, he changed into his Animagus form and disappeared into the night, leaving a now very guilty looking wizard at the scene of his crimes.

That is when a team of Aurors apparated on the scene, binding the only person they have found in the middle of dead muggles, – with a Body Bind –, and sent a Patronus to their boss, Barty Crouch.

It was half an hour later, when Sirius Black was thrown into Azkaban, without the promise of a trial, to be at the Dementors' mercy.

He flopped down the dirty ground and transformed into his Animagus form, to protect himself, as best as he could.

It was going to be a tough period for the unjustly disgraced Auror.

* * *

 **A/N:** There we go. An action-packed chapter with a look into baby Harry's extraction to Gringotts, a brief moment from Minerva's and Flitwick's friendship and Sirius' imprisonment. I have also wrote a little about the goblins, because they are important in this story and I am growing attached to them. If everything goes according to my plans, then the next chapter will finally deal with the Potter will, which I have been promising for a while now, but something always seems to get in the way.

I would also like to thank you for your incredible support of this story. I feel very lucky to have you all reading and enjoying this story. Chapter 3. has over a thousend views alone and it is blowing my mind. Thank you for all the reviews, favourites and follows, it totally makes my day whenever I see them.

I would like to respond to some reviews in my Author's Note, as I cannot do it privately:

 **sameer . pur** : Thank you for the compliment. Hermione and Harry stories are some of my favourite, and I am glad we share this trait. Hopefully you will continue enjoying what you read. Thank you for the review!

 **Guest Review #1** : Thank you! I am glad you are enjoying reading it so far! :)

 **Linda** : Thank you for reading the chapters! I am glad you are enjoying yourself.

Thank you guys for all the support you are showing, I hope to live up to your expectations with my writing and you continue to enjoy what you read!


	5. Biting Into Fudge

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement was in disarray. There was a lot of loud voices, yelling, heated arguments and sheer disbelief reflected on the Aurors' faces. The events concerning the dead muggles and Peter Pettigrew's _'remains'_ , shook up the whole Wizarding World, but the real chaos was in Amelia Bones' heart and mind.

It wasn't known to anyone, except the recently departed Potters, that Amelia was engaged to be married to Lord Black.

The pale witch refused to believe that her fiancé, – the man who loved her more than anyone ever had in her life –, was a cold-blooded murderer. She was aware of Sirius' impulsive nature, and that he had a temper, but after the way he rejected and ran away from his family's affinity to the darkness, she was certain that this had to be a mistake.

Sirius Black was a _cuddly puppy_ , not a Death Eater.

She took a deep breath, ran her shaking fingertips through her soft auburn hair, and focused on the matter at hand. Amelia Susan Bones was a professional. She couldn't let her job falter because of her emotional entanglements. She needed to get over this stack of paperwork, and then she would eventually get to the case she wanted to get her hands on. As the Head of the Aurors, she was aware that this case couldn't be closed , until she signed for it, unless it went over her head.

Little did she know, that is exactly what was being discussed at this very moment.

* * *

Cornelius Fudge was a proud man, but his opinions were easily swayed, especially by powerful people, and currently he was being cornered. He felt like a caged tiger, who was being circled by a bunch of venomous snakes.

It was a fitting metaphor, although he was surprised to find these master manipulators in the company of each other.

"Cornelius, someone as dangerous and demented as Black, should not be allowed a trial!" A smooth, silky voice drawled.

"B-but. It's basic citizen law. No matter the crime, the accused is warranted a fair trial." The bulky wizard argued hesitantly, and decided to be bold. "If anyone, _you_ of all people, should understand this, Lucius!" He gazed at the blonde wizard's statuesque features.

Lucius Malfoy's eyes hardened. He was a no nonsense man, who always got what he wanted, and this weak-minded wizard, whom he manipulated into power, would not be able to stop him.

He was one of Voldemort's most trusted subjects, but when he was caught under suspicious acts, he pleaded that he was under the effects of the _Imperius Curse_ , which forces the victim to obey the caster's commands, thus he was cleared of all charges.

Many of known Death Eathers have pleaded the same, and literally got away with murder. It helped that most of these purebloods were filthy rich, and they enjoyed bribing Ministry Officials and sweet talking their way into innocence.

"Surely, being forced into horrible acts and being found in the middle of twelve dead muggles are extremely different." He said softly, although there was a sharp edge in his words, that held an underlying warning. "Just think about those innocent non-magical families that were robbed of happiness!" He played on the older wizard's compassion.

Cornelius sighed and leaned against the fluffy cushion of his arm-chair. He wasn't looking forward to this conversation at all, or any conversations with Malfoy for that matter, because it all ended the same. With the Minister of Magic bending over backwards to support the alleged Death Eather.

There was a third wizard in the Minister's Quarters, whom up until this point, was a silent observer. Albus Dumbledore decided to visit his old friend, – after he heard the news about the Marauder –, because he needed him to remain locked away for good.

Sirius Black was another obstacle in his quest to bring Harry Potter under his control, and that just wouldn't do.

He didn't count on Malfoy's presence, but it was a delightful surprise. Even though he was aware that they were on opposing sides of the blood conflict, he could use him to his advantage, after all they both wanted Black out of the way, – _for different reasons_ –, but it did not really matter. The end result was the important element.

"I agree with Mr. Malfoy, my friend." Albus said with a twinkle in his eyes and felt the blonde man's stare. He didn't need to actually look at him to know he was surprised. "The evidence is pretty damning by itself, Cornelius. Twelve dead muggles! He killed one of his own best friends, for Merlin's sake..." He pressed on with a sigh. "I am afraid that he succumbed to the darkness, and sometimes there is no way back from that." He explained, his voice small and full of regret.

Albus Dumbledore was a master at acting and manipulating situations and words to his own purpose. He was aware that Black was not the Potter's Secret Keeper, and it was one of the reasons that he wished to seal the Potter will. He was almost certain that Lily and James have named the friend they trusted with that role, and he was afraid that Harry Potter would slip from his grasp and firm control, if that came to light.

It simply could not be allowed.

Fudge frowned, seeing no way out from this, but he still tried one more time to salvage the situation. "Albus, you know as well as I, that the law is clear and holding a trial is very much a part of that law." He sighed. "We have ways to have the accused tell the absolute truth, so there should be no problems condemning him to Azkaban for life, if he is guilty."

"Veritaserum can be easily countered, if you are well-versed in the depths of Potion brewing, and Sirius inherited his father's talents." Dumbledore said firmly, using his knowledge of the Black family's known skills to his benefit.

Lucius Malfoy smirked. He loathed the silver haired Headmaster, but he was playing into his hands very nicely, and that pleased him.

"I agree with the Headmaster, Cornelius." He said smoothly and flipped his long blonde hair over his shoulder. "The Black family members are all very talented in that area of expertise. My wife, Narcissa, who was also a Black, is very skilled with Potion brewing herself." He shared and stared down the Minister.

He knew the wizard was breaking, and it wouldn't take too long for him to sign the papers for Black's permanent stay in the wizarding prison. Perhaps he could push Fudge to administer him the Dementor's Kiss. It was certainly worth a try.

"Considering his atrocious crimes, Black deserves not only to stay in Azkaban, but no one would blink an eye, if you tossed his soul to the Dementors." He suggested casually.

The Minister of Magic went rigid, and his breath was heavy. It was one thing to put someone away without a trial, but he wouldn't sign off on murder, even if he was pushed towards that. He had enough spine to draw a line somewhere, and this was it.

He supported his weight on his desk, leaning on his hands and stood up, his eyes narrowing at Malfoy.

"That is not something I will sign my name to, Lucius. I will not allow that course of action without a trial." He said firmly. "If you want to see him kissed by the Dementors, I suggest that you start supporting the idea of a trial, because without it, that is not going to happen!" He was shaking. He knew he was pushing his luck, because his opponents were powerful, and they could destory him in a heartbeat, but his sense of right and wrong was sending warning signs all over his body about this.

Malfoy was not satisfied with this turn of events. He was not prepared for the possibility of Cornelius Fudge showing any backbone, but he did. No matter. He would still achieve his previous goal of having Black out of his way, ready to claim the Black fortune and title for his son.

"Very well." He said, and for the rest of the meeting, he stayed quiet, letting the Headmaster finish their undertaking.

"Sirius Black deserves to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban for his crimes, Cornelius, and I can see that you agree to some extent." Dumbledore said and gazed at Malfoy, then back to the Minister. "While I cannot condone the course of action Mr. Malfoy suggested, I believe it would please all of us and the public, to have Black stay in Azkaban, and never see sunlight again." He nodded with an air of finality in his words.

Cornelius Fudge knew when he was defeated, so he signed the official documents that condemned Sirius Black to a permanent stay in Azkaban.

These powerful men better pray to whomever they believed in, to be as far from Madame Bones, as they would physically able to be, because whenever she learnt about this, she would be a woman on a mission to make their life absolute hell.

* * *

 **A/N:** I know this is a shorter chapter than usual, but I wanted this part to stand on it's own, without cluttering it up with anything else.

Also, I wanted to take my time to copy-paste a Guest review and address it, before I say anything else:

" **Guest chapter 3 . Jun 28**

 _Long winded author's notes that do not advance the plot really are not very interesting. The story is. Can you please spend less time writing notes and more time writing the story. Thank you._ "

First of all, thank you for finding the story interesting, I appreciate that. Secondly and to the point, the purpose of these notes are not solely advancing the plot, the story is supposed to do that on it's own, whether it's slow or fast paced. This is my way to sum up my feelings about the chapter, and it's also how I can interact with my readers and thank them for their support, not to mention it's my only way to respond to Guest reviews, much like yours. Furthermore, my notes are clearly divided off the chapter and anyone, including yourself, is able to skip them. You are not obligated to read this section, if you only have interest in the chapter. I don't mind if anyone ignores my thoughts I include at the end of my chapter, but I would appreciate it, if you did not try to influence the way I express myself, because it is offensive, no matter how politely you try to word it. I do not tell you what to write in your review, or how long your review is supposed to be, or even what it's contents should relate to, so I would appreciate if you paid me the same courtesy. Thank you.

With that out of the way, **I would like to emphasize the fact that you guys are entitled to skip my Author's Notes, as much as I am entitled to write them**. Every Author has a right to write their chapter the way they desire, and if they want to write long notes to accompany that chapter, that should be acceptable.

Moving on, I would like to reply to other Guest reviews:

 **Guest Review #1** : Dumbledore is certainly a colourful character that you can write in a lot of ways. I enjoy writing him as a puppet master, it's actually a lot of fun, but I also enjoy reading about a Dumbledore that is supportive. I am glad you are happy that there will be a Harry-Hermione romance in the future, because that pairing is very dear to my heart. I hope you will continue to enjoy the future chapters. Thank you for your support!

 **Linda** : Thank you!

G **uest Review: #2** : The PM function is working well, but I cannot Private Message non-registered reviewers, which is why I am replying this way.

Thank you for all the favourites, follows and reviews to my story. It really makes my day that you guys are enjoying this process as much, as I am enjoying writing it.

The next chapter should be about the will, because I feel like I've built the base enough for it, and even though there are a lot of uncharted areas I could write about, before I address that issue, I don't want to bore you too much with laying groundwork until Chapter 20. or so, that I very easily could, so it will happen in Chapter 6. Thank you for being patient with me!


	6. Letters from Gringotts

It was early morning, when a rather sleep deprived Filius Flitwick made his way towards the Great Hall, to have some breakfast. The death of the Potters weighed on his heart and mind, much more than he was ready to admit to himself, or the rest of the world. The only person, who probably knew the depth of his grief was Minerva, because she was mourning as deeply as he, considering James was secretly studying under her, for his Transfiguration Mastery.

It was the late Potters' plan to work side by side, teaching the young generation of Hogwarts, while raising their small son. James was to retire from working as an Auror, and take on the mantle of assistant Transfiguration Professor, when Lily became assistant Charms Professor. They would have worked side by side their Masters, lightening their load, and gaining teaching experience for the time that it fell on their shoulders to carry on brightening young minds.

With the threat of the Dark Lord looming over their heads, the safety of their family became a priority, and these plans were supposed to be put in motion after the war. Unfortunately, they did not survive long enough to live the life they hoped to live.

The small Professor took a deep breath, as he sat down at the Staff table, filling a goblet with some chilled Pumpkin Juice, and looked over the House tables that were currently empty. Hogwarts students got some extra holiday time to be with their families, and be able to celebrate the end of a most horrid period.

"Good morning, Filius." Dumbledore greeted him jovially. He looked tired and older than ever, as all his planning came to a frustrating stall.

Flitwick had to quietly reign his temper in, not to cause a scene at the breakfast table, and merely nodded in the direction of the elder wizard. "Headmaster." He muttered, and focused his attention on his drink, slowly sipping it, and reaching out to pile some scrambled eggs onto his plate.

Soon his best friend joined their company, and Filius lightened up a bit, as the stern witch always brightened his mood. They were as close as siblings, and it was a relationship that the Hogwarts Professors respected, admired and sometimes even envied.

"Good morning, Min!" He greeted her heartily, and offered a goblet of orange juice to the witch, as he knew that was her favourite beverage to drink in the mornings.

"'Morning." She replied, and took the offered goblet and gulped down half of it, sighing in delight. The sweet nectar of the juice made her feel warmer, and she was ready to face another day.

"Good morning, Minerva." The Headmaster greeted her and frowned a bit at the difference of attitude, that his Charms Professor portrayed towards them. "I hope you had a good night of sleep." He said and his gaze rested on her face.

He noticed a change in her mannerisms, ever since they left young Harry in front of Number Four, Privet Drive, and he hoped that she wasn't second-guessing his orders. He simply knew better than her, after all, he was serving the _Greater Good_ for much longer, than she was.

Albus Dumbledore decided, that he would have to keep his eyes on his Transfiguration Professor, in case he needed to gently coax her to a change of mind, as it would obviously be for her benefit. He smiled a serene smile to himself, proud of the way he was already fixing problems, and it was merely the beginning of the day.

His profound musings were interrupted, when a pair of owls have flown into the Great Hall. They did some aerial moves, fooling around for fun, and landed right in front of Filius and Minerva, both carrying identical letters with the Gringotts seal. The witch and wizard quickly shared a look, and untied the birds' load.

McGonagall offered them a bite to eat, before the owls left the same way they arrived. They felt Dumbledore's curious stare on their person, before he couldn't hold back and asked the question he wanted an answer to.

"Is there a reason you both got letters from Gringotts?" He asked, and didn't even have the dignity to mask the irritation in his voice.

"But, Albus! You know as well as I, that Gringotts matters are very private, and correspondence is strictly between the respective goblin representation and the witch, or wizard they have business with." Minerva lectured him with a huff, and hid her letter in the inner pocket of her cloak, to open when she had some privacy.

The Headmaster blinked and turned back to his breakfast, quickly losing his appetite. He disliked the new changes he saw in Minerva, as she seemed to have developed a sense of self, that he hasn't noticed in her before. He was also curious about this deep knowledge of Goblin Customs that she seemed to be privy to, and failed to remember that Flitwick had some goblin ancestors.

The Charms Professor grasped the letter in his shaking hands, and broke the wax seal that was protecting the parchment, and quickly unrolled it, his eyes becoming misty, as he read the contents.

" _Dear Professor Flitwick,_

 _It's our duty to notify you of the impending reading of the Potter will. Your presence is required at Gringotts, on Wednesday, 3rd November, at 8 am._

 _Looking forward to doing business with you,_

 _Griphook_

 _Head of the Potter Accounts_

 _Gringotts Wizarding Bank_ "

There was a tightness in his throat and a weight on his heart, as he processed these words. He was invited to the reading of the Potter will, which meant that James and Lily named him in their last testaments. It brought tears to his eyes that they regarded him so highly, and he wasn't even aware of the greatest treasure they would bestow upon him, yet.

Minerva looked at him with a softness in her eyes, and her lips curved into a small elusive smile. She had a good idea what the letter was about, and she found herself very happy for her friend. He had a deep relationship with the Potters, especially Lily. She was much like a daughter to him, and he and his actual daughter, Fiona, were regular guests at Godric's Hollow.

Filius married his childhood sweetheart, Evangeline. For the longest time, they did not succeed in having a child. The delicate witch was on a complex potion treatment for more than a decade, when suddenly at a surprising age, she was blessed. It was a high alert pregnancy, and Flitwick lost his soul-mate to child birth, but mourning the loss of his sweetheart, did not stop him from loving his Fiona with all his heart and soul.

He received a lot of help from Minerva, and they practically raised his daughter together, as friends. Neither of them felt even the slightest romantic spark towards one another, and it was something many of their colleagues did not understand, as they shared a bond so deep, it boggled their minds. They did not care much for the opinion of the public though, as they were comfortable with their friendship, and that is what mattered the most.

Fiona Flitwick attended Hogwarts with Lily Evans and the Marauders, and they grew up together. She and Lily formed a sisterly bond, that delighted the aging Charms Professor. They have spent quite a few summers together at Flitwick Cottage, which was located near the sea, and the young Ravenclaw witch was the maid of honour at the Potter wedding.

The trembling wizard folded the letter, and squeezed it tightly to his chest, wondering if his daughter got one as well, although considering she was Godmother to Harry, he would have bet his life that she was also named in the will.

"Do you need to talk?" McGonagall asked, subtly touching his arm to draw his attention.

"Yes, let's go to my Quarters." He nodded and they stood up, leaving an angry Headmaster behind, who felt humiliated by not having the proper respect he thought he deserved. He was entitled to know _everything_ , for Merlin's sake.

The Professors made their way towards Flitwick's Quarters, which was located just outside Ravenclaw Tower. He chose this accommodation, because he wanted to be close to his charges, to be easily approachable when they needed his guidance. He was one of the few Professors, who actually enjoyed mixing with his students of all Houses, but especially loved the company of his Ravens.

When he muttered the password, they entered into a small hall, that gave space for a wooden shoe cabinet, a frame used to give room for his cloaks, with a few hooks on top, and a rather intricately designed mirror, that was hanging on the pale blue wall. It was silver and looked to be of goblin origin, which made that particular object rather valuable.

They moved into the cozy living-space and sat on the bronze couch, that was decorated with blue pillows, which had the Ravenclaw insignia on them. The walls were decorated with silk textiles that were proudly parading in Flitwick's House colours. There were also a few paintings cluttering up the wall space in a tasteful manner. Some were vivid and magical, others were completely mundane, but would drive any non-magical person insane with envy, as they were famous muggle paintings.

"Are you okay, my friend?" Minerva asked in a concerned manner, searching his face for any sign of emotion.

"I am lost for words, Min." He breathed, still clutching the letter in his tiny hands. "I think it's better if I show the letter to you, so you understand." He mumbled and handed the parchment to the witch.

The Transfiguration Professor quickly skimmed the short note, and her eyes became a tad misty as well. It was as she thought, Lily and James named Filius in their will. The often strict witch's features softened immensely, as she thought about the Potters and the deeply rooted respect they had for the Charms Professor. It warmed her heart with a bittersweet feeling.

"This just shows you how much they respected and cared for you." She said softly, squeezing his hand. "Let's read the letter I've received." She suggested and dipped her fingers into the depths of her cloak, fishing the piece of parchment, – that seemed thicker than Flitwick's note –, out to meet their eyes.

" _Dear Professor McGonagall,_

 _It's our duty to notify you of the impending reading of the Potter will. Your presence is required at Gringotts, on Wednesday, 3rd November, at 8 am._

 _Looking forward to doing business with you,_

 _Griphook_

 _Head of the Potter Accounts_

 _Gringotts Wizarding Bank"_

The first note was literally the same as the one her friend received, but she found another one attached:

" _Dear Professor McGonagall,_

 _As per our agreement, it is my honour-bound duty to notify you, that the reading of the Potter will is well underway. I was delighted to spot your name on the list of named witches and wizards. I can say with absolute certainty, that the Potters chose well, as even without knowing their intentions, you stood up for their son. You are a treasure to your kind._

 _May we meet again to discuss these matters,_

 _Ragnok_

 _The Director of the Goblin Nation_

 _Gringotts Wizarding Bank_ "

Minerva McGonagall was gaping at the parchment, like a fish out of water. It was unthinkable for a witch or wizard to receive such a complimentary note from Gringotts, let alone one from The Director of the Goblin Nation, yet the evidence was clear in front of her eyes.

Filius was becoming rather concerned at the expression on her face, so he gently snatched the parchment out of her trembling hands and read it, his eyes becoming as large as a house-elf's in the process.

"Oh my goodness, Minerva!" He squeaked. "I am impressed. I have goblin ancestors, and I have never laid my eyes on The Director, and he personally invited you to meet with him again." His voice was full of awe.

It was such a long time, since the older witch blushed, but under such an adoring pair of eyes, she was somewhat flushed.

"Well, I just did what I thought was right." She said, and tried to school her features back into their well-behaved lines. "I am glad that Albus wasn't able to stop this from happening." She sighed in relief and the tiny Professor couldn't help but agree.

They spent the next few hours chatting about the late Potters and little Harry, planning to contact Fiona, and spend the day in Hogsmeade with her.

* * *

 **A/N:** The actual reading will happen next chapter, where you will also meet the lovely daughter of Flitwick. I wanted him to have a family of his own, because I always thought he was rather lovable. I would also like to backtrack to the previous chapter, where I used Fudge instead of Bagnold. It was an honest mistake, but not to worry, I will make sure to think up a reason why he came into office a few years early.

Also, thanks to a supportive reviewer's logical advice, I decided to keep these notes shorter after all, so if you'd like me to reply to your review, please register, or sign into your account, and I am more than happy to start a conversation with you. And if anyone has tips on how to start a forum, I will do that for this story, where we can interact more freely.

Thank you for the recent favourites, follows and reviews. Your support means the world to me! :)


	7. Dumbledore Goes Fishing

Fiona Flitwick was hurrying down the narrow streets of Hogsmeade, to meet her Father, and favourite _'Aunt'_. She had much to discuss with them.

The Gringotts owl had shaken up the petite witch to her very core. She had a tough time accepting that her best friend was murdered. Even though they were sorted to different Hogwarts Houses, they had connected in their very first Charms class, when they had become instant study partners.

The young witches had met up in the Library every afternoon, to pour over books, and discuss their latest research and extra credit projects. It soon became obvious, that Lily Evans was a particularly bright witch, who would have made a fine Ravenclaw, but over the years, Fiona gradually became aware why she was sorted into Gryffindor.

Lily was a very courageous and straightforward girl. She fought tooth and nail to stop bullying, lobbied for fair House-Elf treatment, and spoke up against the blatant blood-purity movement on several occasions, which landed her in the Infirmary, multiple times.

She was never one to be subtle, unless it was absolutely necessary, like when she was brewing Potions, or practicing charm-work. She had a certain delicate grace about her, when she was focusing her magic, and Fiona often found herself staring at her, mesmerized.

Miss Flitwick took a deep breath, and sat down on a near-by bench. These memories made her feel quite faint, and she was concerned that her legs would let out from under her. It was quite fortunate that her Dad, and Minerva have found her that moment.

"Sweetheart!" Flitwick squeaked, rushing to her daughter, when he noticed that she was unusually pale. "What's the matter?" He asked, taking her into a warm embrace, as he sat next to her.

"Oh, Daddy!" She exclaimed, and burst into the very tears, that she was trying her best to hold back, ever since she got the note from the goblins. "It's horrible. Why did they have to die?" She whispered, her voice cracking with pain.

The doting father tightened his arms around his daughter, glanced at the Transfiguration Professor briefly, and spoke. "Death is never logical, love. It's usually unexpected and hard to swallow, especially for the ones left behind." He said softly and caressed Fiona's back soothingly.

Minerva stepped closer to them, and placed a hand on the witch's shoulder and squeezed it in a gesture of support. "You have to keep in mind, that they fought with every inch of their being to defy _You-Know-Who_ , and protected Harry." She added in a tender voice that she reserved for family.

"I know, Aunt Minnie." She whispered, and reached out a hand to squeeze hers in return. She had a deep affection for her in her heart, and looked to her as a second Mother, but they all agreed that it would generate weird glances and odd gossip, if she addressed Minerva as such, so they had come up with her being an honorary Aunt. It was a most welcome compromise.

"Very well, dear." She smiled. "So, from your reaction, I take it you got the letter from Gringotts as well?" She inquired and Fiona nodded.

"Yes, I did. This is partly why I wanted to meet with you. Do you know what is going to happen to Harry?" She asked, concern apparent in her eyes and voice.

"No. I suppose we will find out at the reading though." Her father replied and looked at McGonagall. "I think you should fill her in about what we know, since you discovered these things." He suggested.

The older witch had started to recount the happenings, since the Potters vanquished the Dark Lord, and the youngest Flitwick listened intently, her eyes widening at the audacity of the Headmaster. She was spluttering in indignation, her whole body displaying her anger.

"How dare the Headmaster act like he is Merlin in a small child's life?" She asked, throwing her hands around, gesturing wildly, stray magic crackling around her wavy auburn hair.

"My reaction exactly." Filius chuckled softly at his daughter's antics, even though, he was as mad at the manipulating wizard, as she was.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head, Fia, the goblins have everything in hand, concerning Harry, and we will take everything else, one step at a time." She smiled encouragingly.

"I suppose so. Still, I can't help but be concerned, I am his Godmother, after all." She frowned slightly. She wanted a role in Harry Potter's life. She wanted to honour the responsibility, that James and Lily bestowed upon her.

"We know, and I am sure that you will have a hand in young Harry's life, love. Lily was a brilliant witch, and a protective mother, and there was a reason that she had chosen you as Godmother. I am certain that they have honoured both you and the Godfather in the will." Filius mused, and he didn't have to look at his best friend, to know, that she agreed with his assessment.

The small witch nodded, and they stood up, and made their way towards the Three Broomsticks, to drink a goblet of hot chocolate to warm their bodies, and souls, and spend some quality time catching up.

"How is your Mr. Abel fairing these days?" Minerva asked, with a suggestive smirk playing in the corner of her mouth, and watched with an amused light in her eyes, as Fiona blushed.

"Please, Auntie, Eric is not mine." She mumbled, a beautiful red tint gracing her cheeks. "He is finishing up with Auror training, as we speak. He has been very serious about learning the arts, and Lady Bones is letting him graduate early." She beamed.

" _Yet._ " She chuckled knowingly, and schooled her features into a smile. "That is a very impressive feat. I know how tough Amelia is about training the younger generation. Your young wizard must be talented." She nodded to herself, and looked at Filius, to see that he was as amused as she was.

"Indeed! You simply _must_ celebrate his success, and invite him over for a family dinner." He grinned at his daughter impishly. "After all, I have a right to meet the wizard who stole my only daughter's heart, don't I."

"I wasn't informed that today was _Tease-Fiona-Flitwick-To-Your-Heart's-Content-Day_!" She groaned, and her company exploded into a fit of laughter at her embarrassed frustration.

The rest of their day was spent in similar fashion, teasing Fiona lovingly, and catching up with other matters, spending the day as a family.

* * *

Dumbledore disillusioned himself, and made his way towards Minerva's private chambers, where he skillfully deactivated her wards, and scanned her quarters for further protection. When he cleared everything, he took a deep breath and paused. He knew that snooping around a colleague's private residence was illegal, not to mention highly unethical, but he had to know about the contents of that Gringotts letter that arrived for her. It was all for the _Greater Good_.

He had a sneaking suspicion, that his Transfiguration Professor was up to something, and he did not like it at all. She had changed in the past few days, and he was unhappy about it. She seemed to be way too knowledgeable about goblin customs as well, and that could only mean trouble. Only those, who wanted to be friendly with the goblins really took time to learn about their culture, and he did not think that his Professor needed that advantage.

Albus Dumbledore preferred to hold all the power, rather than see it held by other individuals.

"Accio Gringotts letter!" He muttered under his breath, and a pair of unrolled parchments had flown to his hands. He frowned when he read the first note.

" _Dear Professor McGonagall,_

 _It's our duty to notify you of the impending reading of the Potter will. Your presence is required at Gringotts, on Wednesday, 3rd November, at 8 am._

 _Looking forward to doing business with you,_

 _Griphook_

 _Head of the Potter Accounts_

 _Gringotts Wizarding Bank"_

The old wizard felt his ire rise. _Why on earth was Minerva invited to the reading?_ He had a lot more right to be present, than she did. She was, but a mere Professor at Hogwarts, while he was so much more. He wrinkled his nose, and guided his attention towards the second note, which made him gape, like a fish out of water.

" _Dear Professor McGonagall,_

 _As per our agreement, it is my honour-bound duty to notify you, that the reading of the Potter will is well underway. I was delighted to spot your name on the list of named witches and wizards. I can say with absolute certainty, that the Potters chose well, as even without knowing their intentions, you stood up for their son. You are a treasure to your kind._

 _May we meet again to discuss these matters,_

 _Ragnok_

 _The Director of the Goblin Nation_

 _Gringotts Wizarding Bank_ "

He was seething with anger when he understood what this letter meant. McGonagall had played him for a fool, the cat was out of the bag, quite literally. She went against his direct orders, and notified the Goblin Nation about Harry's predicament. _How could she be so utterly foolish?!_

The Headmaster was beside himself, yet he had to begrudgingly admit, that going to Gringotts was sheer genius, because if anyone had the power to circumvent his manipulations, the goblins certainly did. He was red in the face with embarrassment over the way the Head of the Potter Accounts played him, and now he knew just who was at the root of all the humiliation he suffered yesterday.

He took a deep breath to calm himself, and cast a complicated reverse-summoning spell, to put the parchments back in their exact position, and then he repeated the same wand movements, with a different intent, to replace Minerva's protection charms, and then he carefully sneaked out of her quarters, and let her wards rise again, storming off towards his office.

Albus Dumbledore was determined to turn the situation around to his advantage.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, it seems that this will reading is just teasing to be closer and closer, and then my mind wanders, and it is postponed till next time. I have been promising that it's the next chapter for a while now, so I apologize that it is still not here, but I am hoping that it will happen soon. I suppose that I could have included it in this chapter, but I am much more comfortable going my own speed, and building the moment, so I have written a bit about Fiona and her relationship with Lily, Flitwick and Minerva and then I had the idea to let Dumbledore go on a self-serving adventure. I hope you will enjoy reading this chapter and thank you for your patience!

 _Also. Just what are Dumbledore's devious plans? You will have to wait and see. He is quite sinister, as much I will tell you._

I would also like to thank everyone for the reviews, favourites and follows!


	8. The Puppet Master Strikes Two

Albus Dumbledore stormed into his office, and slammed the door behind him, waking his phoenix from his peaceful slumber. He was shaking with fury, and stray magic crackled all around the elderly wizard, as he paced the length and breadth of the room. He paused in front of his mahogany desk, and dipped his hand into an ivory porcelain bowl, to grab a handful of lemon-drops, and popped them into his mouth.

Once the sugary sweet sensation laced with some Calming Draught exploded on his tongue, he took a deep breath, and lowered himself on his leather arm-chair. He needed a clear mind to objectively think the situation over, and devise a proper course of action to counter the foolish mistakes of Minerva McGonagall.

He could not believe that she had the gall to betray him. What could have possibly possessed her to go against _him_ , and everything he believed in?

The _'Greater Good'_ was more important, than her sense of right and wrong. Placing Harry Potter with his mother's muggle relatives, was crucial to his plans, and it would have to be rectified and soon. If he had to track them down, and modify their memories and cast some Compulsion Charms, then so mote it be. It was, but a small sacrifice on the path of greatness.

Albus nodded to himself, and patted himself on the shoulder for being so assertive in such an important situation, even under such duress. As he suckled on his candy, his thoughts edged towards the correspondence between Gringotts and his Professor, and he mused about how to turn the reading of the will to his benefit.

His eyes twinkled with delight, as he thought about the obvious. As smart as he was, he could very well make a list of the people, who would be invited to the reading, and gently coax one of them to be his eyes and ears. Obviously, he was a genius to think about such an ingenious tactic.

He leaned over his desk and grabbed a piece of parchment, scrambling in one of his drawers to find a functioning Quill and some ink. He dipped the pointed end of the Phoenix Feather into the scarlet coloured liquid, and started to compose his list.

"Minerva McGonagall." He frowned as he shaped the flow of the ink to form her name. She was the first, and most obvious choice, as the letters were proof of her invitation to the reading. He wanted to steer clear of her for now though, and instead keep an eye on her future movement. She was a wild card to his operation, so instead of manipulating her mind, he decided that it would be more to his advantage to let her roam free, and lull her into a false sense of safety, so she will show her hand in the right moment.

"Filius Flitwick." He sighed, as he wrote the name of his Charms Professor. He harboured some unrequited feelings for the tiny wizard for the past couple of decades, which would interfere with his willingness to actually meddle with him. He was aware that he was especially close with Lily Potter, so he figured that the Potters left some valuables to his name, but he didn't believe that he would be an actual threat to the placement of Harry. He sighed once more, and decided to leave him and his beautiful mind alone. He was not willing to coax or hurt him in any shape or form, not even for the _'Greater Good'_ , at least for now. He held out some hope for a bright future for the two of them.

"Sirius Black." He actually smirked as he wrote down the name of the young Auror. He was aware that he wouldn't be able to do anything to stop him and his plans, because he was sitting in the esteemed company of Dementors, in Azkaban. He did not feel even the slightest tinge of guilt for throwing an innocent man into prison. The Black family's dark reputation played into his sly hands very nicely. No one in their right mind would bat an eye for sentencing him to Azkaban without a trial, except perhaps Amelia Bones, but that was of no consequence for now. As powerful as she was, she had no control over Cornelius, who was a sad excuse for Minister for Magic. The only person, who could possibly get in his way was Lucius Malfoy, but he benefited from the situation with Black in Azkaban, as much as he did, so he was safe. He was really glad about that, because Malfoy manipulated the young wizard into power, after Bagshot was murdered. _What a tragic accident._

"Remus Lupin." He paused a bit after he added his name to the list, and leaned against the comfortable back of the chair, closing his eyes, and pondering about the unique predicament young Remus was in.

The werewolf was one of his most loyal subjects, as he felt indebted to him for allowing him to attend Hogwarts, even with his furry little problem. He chuckled softly to himself, and stood up to walk over to his private library. He ran his fingertips over the spines of his books that he had on magical creatures, and stopped when he spotted the ancient tome on werewolves.

He gently lifted the thin text off the shelf, and carefully blew on it, so the dust that covered the leather-bound surface, scattered into the air. With a flick of his wand, he muttered a spell to clear the air, and sat back down, placing the book beside the list.

The Headmaster sighed wearily, and flicked the cover open, looking at the second page, that listed the contents. His eyes twinkled when he found the chapter on the _'Effects of Mind Magic and Mind Alteration'_. He skimmed the pages, effectively finding the paragraph, that he needed.

" _The nature of the werewolves is mysterious when it comes to the Mind Arts. Witches or Wizards, who were skilled in Occlumency and Legilimency, often have their skills magnified after their infection and transition into their wild side, courtesy of the magic of the Full Moon, becoming completely immune to the Mind Arts. Even the individuals, who were infected before learning the art of shielding their mind, or lacking these protective skills, become somewhat immune to the probing of the mind, or the control of the Imperius. The nature of the wolf personality is highly aggressive, and quite protective. Even while dormant most of the month, it edges under the surface of the personality of the werewolf, eager to burst out of it's cocoon, by any means necessary. Putting a werewolf under the Imperius Curse, or using Legilimency to inject false memories, or compulsions into the mind, is dangerous and highly inadvisable, unless one wants to die a most horrible death, or spend one's life howling at the Full Moon oneself._ "

Dumbledore frowned, and thanked his cleverness and thoughtfulness for reading, before doing something that would have had a tragic result. He wanted to put Harry Potter under his control, but it would be pointless, if in the midst of things, he would die or worse, transition into a _creature_. He shuddered at the thought. He could graciously tolerate beings, but he would rather die, than become one himself, because that would tarnish his glowing reputation.

He closed the book, and let it rest beside the short list of subjects, that were his pawns for playing the sheep, that was the Wizarding World. The Headmaster chuckled darkly at the thought of them letting him hold so much power over their heads. It astounded him that no one questioned the morality of the principle of him being in three very powerful positions, with him as Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, as he had major influence and connections to families of nobility and power.

Over the years, he had perfected his kindly grandfather persona, and it worked wonders for him. He supposed he should be thankful for Father Christmas, who was his inspiration with his act. The fact that he seemed morale and Light enough to entice a phoenix to bond with him, was the delicate icing on the cake of manipulation. He had suspected that since then, poor Fawkes regretted agreeing to the magical bond, but he didn't show it too much, and helped him with the normal tasks he had for him, like flashing him in and out of places, letting him donate some feathers for Quills, and even for a wand or two, and using his tears, when he had a dangerous encounter and needed Healing aid.

Albus tilted his head to the side and peered at the golden perch, that was located near the ornate window. Fawkes was staring at him with his sad piercing blue eyes, and he felt like he was looking at his very soul. He flushed with a feeling of being flustered, and looked away. Sometimes he really had to pay attention to catch himself, before he let the fiery bird influence him with his goodness.

Albus Dumbledore did not consider himself a Dark wizard, or a Dark Lord, no, however, he was aware that some of his actions, albeit completely necessary for the Greater Good, were Grey at best. He did not like to personally dirty his hands, but if his plans demanded, he would find a third party to do his bidding for him, thus ridding him from any tinge of guilt that could surface in his conscience.

He closed his eyes and sighed, the wheels turning in his head over the remaining friendly connections the Potters had, as he needed to muse over the possibility of them being named in the will. After a pause in thought, he stood up and began pacing over the room once more, anxiously trying to remember the Potters' years at Hogwarts, and whom they used to hang out with.

He remembered Lily and James being friendly with Alice and Frank Longbottom, and he assumed that they would be named in their last testament, as the young men used to work together in the Auror force, however he was also aware of the tragedy that had befallen the Longbottom family. Bellatrix Lestrange had tortured the couple into a comatose state with the Cruciatus Curse, so if anyone could attend the reading in their name, it would be Madame Longbottom, and the formidable witch was someone, that he did not want to cross.

That left him with a few other names: Fiona Flitwick, Selene Lovegood, Marlene McKinnon, Dorcas Meadows, Emmeline Vance and Andromeda Tonks. While they were mostly members of the Order of the Phoenix, for some reason he highly doubted any of them would take kindly to being coaxed into delivering information to him.

Miss Flitwick was out of the equation, by the simple fact that he was Filius' daughter, and as such, she was untouchable to him. He did not want to deal with an enraged Flitwick raining down on him, that would most certainly break his heart into millions of tiny pieces. No, if he hoped for any possible future relation with him, he needed to respect him and his family, so he swiftly took her off of his mental chess table.

Miss Lovegood was not an option either, as her intuition and her knowledge of the character of those closest to her was uncanny, and the aging wizard always felt uncomfortable around the beautiful witch. Her presence was simply unnerving to him, it was as if she knew his deepest, darkest secrets and thoughts. He thought it a very good idea to keep his distance.

The rest of the witches were a possibility for manipulation, especially Miss McKinnon. Dumbledore knew for a fact that the mind of that young lady was as open and expressive, as the rest of her. She was a very outgoing and frighteningly sincere person, with her heart on her sleeve. She was part of the Order, and a skilled witch in her own right.

He nodded to himself, and added her name to the list, circling it slightly, and scrawled a question mark before Lupin's name, because despite what he read about werewolves and influencing their minds, he was certain Remus was his best choice at accomplishing his goal. It was only a question of how he should circumvent the difficulties, but he wasn't Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, the most powerful and clever wizard since Merlin, for nothing. Although, that did not mean that he couldn't influence Miss McKinnon as well, as an insurance policy of sorts.

He turned towards Fawkes and smiled. "Well, what do you say, old friend? How about we invite some good company?" He asked serenely, and the phoenix stared at him, shaking his head and turning towards the window. He knew what his bonded wizard was planning to do, and it sickened him.

Fawkes trilled sadly, and reminisced about the time he met Dumbledore. He held so much more hope in himself, but over the years his aura had become darker and darker, and it was like he did not even notice, or did not want to. He did not know how to help him see himself. He wanted out of this bond, but he couldn't escape, unless he met someone with a heart and spirit so pure, that it would over-ride this flat bond they shared with the Headmaster, but for that to happen, he would have to be allowed among people, and that was simply unthinkable.

Albus frowned at the reaction of his familiar, but moved towards his fireplace anyway, and contacted the McKinnon witch. He knelt on the hard marble floor, and dipped his head into the glowing blueish flames.

"Greetings, Miss McKinnon." He said softly. "Would you be so kind as to floo to my office? We have something to discuss." He indulged her.

The brunette witch raised an eyebrow, as she noticed the Headmaster floo-calling her. It was highly unusual, because usually he paid no attention to her. "Of course, Headmaster. Is it about Order business?" She inquired.

"Yes, it's rather urgent." He said gravely.

"I will be right over, sir!" She replied, her heart beating faster. Did something happen? Did someone die? Why would he call her out of all the other members? She froze and panicked at the thought that something may have happened to her little brother.

She grabbed a handful of floo powder, and made the journey to the Headmaster's office, falling ungracefully on the marble stone floor. She blushed slightly, as she scrambled to her feet, and flicked off the dust and dirt from her clothes, with a well aimed spell.

"It's nice to see you, Miss McKinnon." Albus chuckled, an amused light twinkling in his eyes. "It's not often that one sees such a delightful arrival." He said playfully, causing the young witch to flush scarlet.

"I am sorry, Headmaster. Floo travel was never my strong suit." She mumbled, and looked at the elder wizard with a concerned expression. "May I ask what is the urgent matter we need to discuss?" She asked, her voice laced with poorly-masked fear.

"No need to look so frightened, my dear." He said softly, when he noticed her expression. "I would like to talk to you about James and Lily Potter, if you don't mind?"

Marlene looked at him with shock on her face, and a deep pain reflecting in her eyes. "It's horrible! They died way before their time." She whispered, her voice cracking. "The worst of all is that they left behind a small baby, who will grow up without the tender loving care of James and Lily. It breaks my heart." She burst into thick tears, her hands trembling, as her fingers fidgeted with the edge of her cloak.

Albus looked down sorrowfully, taking a leaf out of his kindly grandfather persona, as he tenderly patted the sobbing girl on her shoulder. "There, there, Miss McKinnon." He muttered gently, and motioned for her to sit in the comfortable chair in front of his desk. "Would you fancy a lemon-drop, my dear?" He offered generously, and his eyes twinkled with delight when she accepted.

"Thank you, Headmaster." She whispered, and reached into the small golden bowl, and took a candy, plopping it into her mouth. As she twirled it around her tongue, the hidden potions made contact with her, her body instantly relaxing, as her eyes glazed over.

The sneaky wizard smiled widely, and did a switching spell with his own supply of lemon-drops. The ones he offered to the dazed witch was for his guests, and that batch was laced with a Loyalty Potion, and his own concoction, to make the subject more willing to accept his gentle nudging to the right course of action.

"Are you alright, Miss McKinnon?" He asked, and the girl looked at him kind of dazed and confused.

"Of course, Headmaster, never better." She had a strange smile on her face. "What can I do for you?" She asked rather eagerly, and the wizard had to hide a smug grin at his brilliance.

"All in good time, dear child." He muttered, and then asked an important question to his mission. "Have you received a letter from Gringotts recently?" He wondered, his voice impatient.

"Oh, yes, I did." She bobbed her head in reply.

"Were you invited to the reading of the Potter will?" He looked at her curiously, and hoped that was the case, because she theoretically could have had other business with Gringotts.

"Yes, sir." She nodded again, looking blankly at him.

"Good." He smiled serenely and asked another question. "Would you do me a favour, Miss McKinnon?"

"Anything, sir!" She smiled that strange smile again and bobbed her head in the positive.

"Anything, you say?" Dumbledore's expression would have turned positively feral, if he didn't have to stick to his grandfather persona. "Very well, my dear. Since I am busy that morning, and cannot attend the will reading, I would like you to be my eyes and ears, and then tell me everything that happened, right after the situation is done with." He said in a smooth, hypnotic tone, that seeped into Marlene's subconscious.

"It would be my pleasure, Headmaster." She said eagerly and looked at him with a blank look. "Can I do anything else for you?"

"Thank you, Miss McKinnon." He smiled. "Oh, certainly. Please don't tell anyone that I cannot make it to the reading, or that we had this conversation. It should be our little secret." He said, and indulged her in a gentle pat on her cheek. If he was remotely interested in witches, he would have probably thought about other things to ask of her, but that wasn't the case, so he snapped his fingers, and caught her when she was falling.

"Oh, Miss McKinnon, you are a treasure to my cause." He smiled, and laid her on the floor, calling for a House-Elf.

"Sippy!" He exclaimed in an authoritative voice, and a run-down, depressed-looking House-Elf appeared in front of him, only to cheer up at the possibility of having something to do.

"Yes, Headmaster? You called Sippy. Sippy is happy to serve." She squeaked and looked eager to please the Head of the School. "What can Sippy do?"

"Please pop Miss McKinnon home, and see to it that she is perfectly healthy by the time she needs to leave for her appointment at Gringotts tomorrow." He instructed.

"Sippy is doing that, sir. Sippy will go now and guard Miss Kinny 'till tomorrow." She vowed, and disappeared with the witch.

Dumbledore sighed contently, and decided that this part of the plan went smoothly. The girl was ridiculously easy to manipulate, because she was too open and trusting, well, that was her mistake, and his advantage.

Now he could implement the next phase of his plan, and this would be the challenging part. How to coerce a werewolf into doing his bidding, without him knowing? Nothing came to his mind just yet, but he would wing it, after all he was a genius, he could do this.

Albus decided that he would apparate to Remus Lupin's location, perhaps that would make the wizard-turned-creature more accommodating to his gentle coercion to his way of thinking on the Harry Potter matter. Nonetheless, he needed to be quick and witty to pull this off. He turned on his heel, and apparated on the spot, after all his magical signature was keyed into the castle wards, giving him easy access to coming and going, whenever and wherever he pleased.

He arrived in a dimly lit, run-down room, that looked painfully empty, except for a single bed, some weary blankets covering the surface, with yellow pillows adorning the headboard. There was a simple oak wardrobe, that was half open, revealing that the man barely had any clothes. Under the small window, was a tiny wooden desk, with a matching chair, that had a haphazardly arranged cloak thrown over it. The other side of the room was dressed with some book shelves, that were filled to the brim with books of all sizes and colours.

The Headmaster sighed heavily. He was aware that the poor werewolf had sketchy living circumstances, but he didn't imagine it was this bad. He frowned, and shook his head slightly in pity. He walked over to the bookcases and would have just begun skimming the titles, when Remus rushed into the room, his stance alert, his eyes raging with anger, and his wand pointed at him.

"Remus, my boy, is this the proper way to greet a friend?" His eyes twinkled with amusement, and the shocked man had the good sense to be flustered at the old wizard's question.

"Oh, it's you, Headmaster! My apologies, I wasn't expecting anyone, much less a friendly connection, when I felt my wards come crashing down." He muttered, and ran his fingers through his sandy brown hair. "I have been on the edge, ever since James and Lily were murdered. The thought of our best friend betraying them..." He mumbled tearfully, his shoulders shaking from the emotions he was trying his best to hold back. At the same time, the manipulative meddler had a light bulb go off in his head, and decided to turn this conversation to his advantage.

"It is very tragic indeed." He said sadly, patting the young werewolf on his shoulder. "This is actually the reason I have decided to stop by. I have some sensitive information on the Black-Potter situation." He indulged Remus, in a low whisper.

"You _do_? Please share it with me, I deserve to know! They were my best friends, and now they are gone. If you know something important, please put me out of my misery!" He said in a feverish voice, leaning towards the Headmaster, grabbing onto his purple cloak in desperation, catching himself in the act and flushing with embarrassment, at the disrespect he was showing. "Er, I apologize, my emotions were getting away from me."

Albus had an amused light in his eyes at his reaction, and he was certain he could trick him into taking a magical oath for information's sake, and then use it to his advantage afterwards.

"I cannot indulge you with what I know, because of the sensitive nature of the matter. I would need a magical oath from you that you would not accidentally share these matters with others." He explained gravely, joining his hands behind his back.

"Are you certain there is no other way?" Lupin asked with a serious tone.

Magical oaths were highly volatile when agreed on without proper thinking and wording. Remus Lupin did not want to jump into a magically binding contract between him and Albus Dumbledore, unless he absolutely had to. His mind, and the wolf inside of him, were swiftly against this idea, but his heart was all for it. He needed to know some things. He needed to make sure that Sirius would pay for his crimes, for betraying the Potters, for murdering Peter, for turning into the despicable man, that he had once sworn never to become. He needed to make sure that little Harry was well looked after, that he would grow up with people, who loved him and cared for him. People, who wouldn't care that he was the saviour of the Wizarding World, who wouldn't care that he was the Boy-Who-Lived.

"I am afraid we have no other choice, Remus." Dumbledore confirmed.

"Very well, Albus, but know that the only reason I am agreeing to a magical oath is so I can reassure myself that Black gets what he deserves, and that Harry is looked after." He nodded.

"Understandable, my boy." Dumbledore nodded and smiled a serene smile. "Please repeat after me. _'I, Remus John Lupin, swear on my life and magic not to disclose the sensitive information that Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore shares with me about the Peter Pettigrew situation with Sirius Black, and the predicament of fifteen months old Harry Potter, and promise to share any information I come upon for the next forty-eight hours.'_ " He articulated clearly, and sucked in a deep breath, waiting to see if he repeated the words.

Remus arched a brow, deep in thought about the wording of the oath. It seemed rather specific, however it also seemed quite harmless, and only binding for the next two days, which wasn't bad at all. He ended up raising his wand, and repeating the oath, word for word.

"I, Remus John Lupin, swear on my life and magic not to disclose the sensitive information that Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore shares with me about the Peter Pettigrew situation with Sirius Black, and the predicament of fifteen months old Harry Potter, and promise to share any information I come upon for the next forty-eight hours. So mote it be." There was a flash of magic, that sealed his promise, and he felt an uncomfortable tug at the back of his mind.

The older wizard had to hide his delight. "Thank you, my boy, that was a wise decision." He nodded, and went into detail about the imprisonment of Sirius Black, and the circumstances of Harry Potter. These were mostly information everyone had at their disposal, spiced with a few breadcrumbs of things the public wasn't privy to, like how Black didn't have a trial.

"It serves him well, that back-stabbing bastard!" Remus was a little bit out of his mind with anger towards Sirius, but it was completely understandable. Not only did he betray their friends, murdered another friend, orphaned Harry, but he also betrayed him. _How could he?_ The werewolf within him was raging, like sea waves were rapidly rising and falling, during a heavy storm.

"I couldn't agree more, my boy." Dumbledore said gently, doing a little mental dance in his mind for being such a genius, playing on his emotions like this. "Poor little Harry is out of a set of loving parents because of him, I hope he finds his comeuppance with the Dementors." He added and then sighed. "Remus, would you mind doing me a favour?" He looked at him, worry portrayed in his eyes.

"My sentiments exactly!" The werewolf agreed and then nodded. "You know I would do anything for you Headmaster, I am forever indebted to your kindness and generosity that you displayed in my Hogwarts years." He smiled a small smile.

"Oh, think nothing of it, my boy." He waved it off. "Well, I know that the Potter will reading is tomorrow, but I have a previous engagement and unfortunately cannot attend. Would you mind filling me in of the details over lunch tomorrow?" He asked kindly.

Remus knotted his eyebrows together, and wondered what could be more important than attending the reading of the last testaments of the Potters, but then he thought about the amount of responsibility that being Albus Dumbledore must come with, and nodded his consent, after all he already had done so much for him, it was only natural that he helped him out.

He felt the uncomfortable tug at the back of his mind once more, but he chose not to pay attention to it, because he knew that the magnificent wizard would never lead him astray. He trusted him beyond words, and beyond measure. He had no way of knowing how wrong he was, and how betrayed he was going to feel, once his manipulations would be pointed out to him.

"I can do that, it has been a while since we had lunch together." He smiled, and the old wizard patted him gently on the shoulder.

"Then it's time to rectify that, my boy!" He said in a jolly manner.

The two spent a few more minutes talking about next to nothing, and the Headmaster apparated back to Hogwarts, feeling accomplished, and basking in his own self-addressed glory for the day.

* * *

The mood was extremely different in the Gringotts underground tunnels, and in the Healing Chambers. The goblins, who had clearance to know about the Harry Potter situation, were either extremely pissed off, and planning to murder some witches and wizards, or they were frantically preparing for the Horcrux extraction ritual, which demanded a steady heart and mind, not to mention the high amount of magical power, and the delicacy of required skills to accomplish this most daunting feat.

Director Ragnok stood in one of the corners of the Chamber, with tiny Harry resting in his muscled arms, as he was supervising the preparations. He promised Healer Zaire, that he would be present for the extraction, and he was intent in seeing that promise through. He had feelings of affection for this small child, feelings that he never expected to feel for a witch or a wizard, and it had taken him by surprise.

Ragnok could only assume that his inability to conceive a child with his mate had something to do with it. The fate that this dragon-egg sized human baby was born with, was a sombre one. No one should lose their family at such a tender age, and no one should be marked by such powerful Dark Magic, especially not the saviour of Magical Britain. However, he also knew that great heroes would always be surrounded with even greater tragic circumstances, that would aid them to be the strength and pillar of their community. The mighty goblin warrior had every intention to guide him through the trials and tribulations that would inevitably befall him.

It was unprecedented that a goblin would take interest in a wizard, but he felt it in his gut, that this course of action would benefit the Goblin Nation on the long run, and one day see an important step towards improving Wizarding-, and Goblin relations.

"We are ready to begin, Director." Healer Zaire said, and motioned for him to place the baby on the stone table, in the middle of a ceremonial circle.

The extraction ritual aged the majestic goblin by at least a decade. No one should have to be standing on the side-lines and witnessing such a small being screaming his little heart out from the excruciating pain he was experiencing.

A circle of goblin Healers were surrounding Harry, as they created a wave of powerful and intricately woven spell storm, that was soon concentrated into the lighting-bolt shaped scar on his forehead, as they began chanting in their most ancient and sacred tongue to amplify the process. There was a stream of some black gooey liquid that was flowing out of the opening of the wound, and it gave off an ear-splitting scream of fury and agony.

" _I am Lord Voldemort, and I am going to kill you all now!_ " The voice hissed, and one of the goblin Curse-Breakers, who was invited to the ritual for his part in it, raised his fingers, and started chanting and old Arabic spell, that would send the slither of split soul to the Afterlife.

Once the remains of the Dark Lord had cleared from the room, the circle of Healers changed their chanting to a more subtle and effectively gentler tone, and their collective magic healed Harry's forehead completely, leaving only unblemished skin, erasing the marked identity from him forever, which he would be thanking the Goblin Nation for in his later years.

"That seemed very taxing, Healer Zaire. Please take the rest of the day off. You and your team of Healers will be rewarded with a feast tomorrow." He said and the goblins let out a moderated victory yell and thanked their Director for this most generous gesture.

"In the name of my team and myself, I thank you graciously for the honour of dining in your company, Director. It's a gift, that is invaluable to us." Healer Zaire said sincerely, and placed Harry Potter back into his arms. He could see that Director Ragnok had taken a shine to this baby, and that told him everything he had to know about the foreseeable future. Things would get really interesting over the years, and the elderly Healer could only hope he would live to see the changes Harry Potter would bring to their world.

Ragnok nodded and made his way towards his private quarters, with Harry in his arms. To say that his bonded mate was surprised, was an understatement. They had a lot to discuss, and spent the rest of the night between talking and taking care of an understandably fussy baby, but it made them feel a sense of completion, that they were missing from their life.

If the Potter will did not name a suitable guardian for him, they would have adopted the tiny wizard themselves, and raised him as their own child, but since he was aware that James and Lily Potter named a very well suited individual to be his guardian, he would make sure that Harry Potter would be comfortable with the goblin culture, and he had no doubts that would be the case, since his guardian had some goblin blood flowing through his veins, which made his plans that much easier.

The next morning, he made his way to the private room used for will reading purposes, with Griphook by his side, as they allowed entrance to the group of witches and wizards, who were named in the Potter will. It was quite a sizable amount, but he wasn't surprised at all, since the Potters were a highly regarded couple, even in goblin circles, which was a rarity.

"Good morning! I am Director Ragnok, and the goblin standing by my side is Griphook, The Head of the Potter Accounts. We are gathered here today to read the last will of James and Lily Potter, as instructed to us." His voice was raspy, and it radiated power.

The gathered company looked solemn, and there wasn't a dry eye in the room, except for the goblins, of course. They all waited to learn about the last wishes of the couple they loved so dearly.

* * *

 **A/N:** Originally, I told myself that I would include the reading, no matter how long this chapter got, but then it felt like such a natural place to stop. I know, I am an awful tease, but I am planning the reading to be long as well, with people interacting with each other, and Dumledore's manipulations either shining or falling to pieces. He is a real piece of work, and he is only going to get darker and darker. He is not a good person in this story, and he won't redeem himself at all, it will only get much-much worse. Honestly, I just want to get this chapter out there for you to read, as soon as possible. It has been so much fun to write, and I am really excited about what you guys think of Dumbledore's plans.

I would also like to express my thanks and gratitude to Ken, (PDog99), for helping me. and being my constant support, and a source of good ideas that I will implement in the future. He also helped refine the paragraph I have written about werewolves and the Mind Arts, which I really appreciated, because I was struggling with it a little.

Also, as per usual, thank you for all the reviews, favourites and follows. You guys are the best!


	9. The Potter Will

It was only six in the morning, but life and preparation was lively in the Gringotts Underground. Goblins were getting ready for the reading of the Potter will, and that generated a lot of attention, as the Potter Accounts were one of the most Senior accounts in the Bank. The riches and artifacts hidden in every nook and cranny in the most secure vaults for the Potters were somewhat legendary.

Senior Account Manager Griphook, who was the Head of the Potter Accounts, was often sought after with gifts and bribes to spill some Potter secrets to the curious interlopers, but he would never betray the honour of his client, not to mention his own code of conduct. He may despise wizards, but it went against his honour as a goblin to be anything, but just in his endeavours.

Goblin honour dictated to always seek profit and stick to goblin customs, utilizing their very crafty and sneaky nature, but in a way that was honourable. A goblin who betrayed the very customs they lived by found himself deep underground, being breakfast, lunch, or dinner to the their beloved Dragons that they were breeding.

Griphook walked down a path towards his early pre-Will reading discussion appointment with The Director. They both agreed that the Headmaster would attempt to manipulate his way into getting information, and that just would not be tolerated.

He passed Director Ragnok's guards, and they slapped their chests in goblin greeting, before letting their superior know about his arrival. Griphook nodded to them in his own greeting, as his hands were full of Potter documents and the will itself.

"Good morning, Griphook!" The Director greeted him, as the golden gate opened, and he motioned for him to join him in his office.

"Likewise, Director." He said politely and bowed respectfully, following him inside the spacious room.

Ragnok walked to his chair and sat down, looking like he spent the night wide awake. He glanced towards the simple bassinet he transfigured, watching over the peacefully sleeping baby. He sighed and thought about how difficult it was to get Jade, his mate, who was named after some of their most precious stones, to part with young Harry Potter, even though he was not a goblin.

He broke out of his reverie and looked back at Griphook, motioning for him to sit down. He nodded, and sat down on the comfortable dragonhide armchair, opposite The Director, placing his stack of files on his desk.

"Is everything in order for today?" Ragnok asked, placing his arms on the wooden surface and touching his fingers together, looking into the other goblin's dark eyes, who nodded.

"Yes, Director. I have assimilated all Potter holdings, and broke them down to sections and lists, organized by which vault they are placed at, noting if they are located outside the premises of Gringotts." He explained, and slided some papers and scrolls towards him. "I have also opened new vaults and filled them with the contents pre-determined by Lord and Lady Potter for those that they wished to leave valuables to and did not already own a vault. For the named, who do already own vaults, I haven't done anything for, until we can verify everything is legit." He explained.

"Good." Director Ragnok grunted and skimmed the files carefully, double-checking the Account Head's work, but everything seemed to be in tall order. He was satisfied with Griphook, he took his job seriously, as he should, and it showed. "Everything is in top order." He said, some satisfaction carrying through his tone.

"Thank you, sir." The short goblin said and smiled an invisible smile. He was pleased at the compliment, and he took pride in his accomplishments.

"Now, what about the precautionary safety measures we have discussed?"

"The room we are going to host the reading in is heavily warded by both our best Curse-Breakers and our Ward Specialists. The first layer is a simple ward that will let us know if there is anyone under the effects of Polyjuice Potion, if our Guards for some reason haven't caught the intruder already. The second layer is actually a highly complex layer that had taken three of our warders to simultaneously erect. It will let us know if anyone present is currently either Confounded, under the effects of Mind-, and Will-altering Potions, or under the Imperius Curse. Then we come to the _truly_ brilliant layer, that will show us the individuals who are under some sort of Oath, or Unbreakable Vow. This is a very intricate layer, and it took Master Goldmind's vast knowledge to make it work." He dutifully explained.

"Good." Ragnok nodded, pleased with the security wards. "Have you sent word to the select warriors I have chosen to stand with us throughout the reading for the safety of our own?" He inquired.

It was important that The Director of the Bank was guarded, and Ragnok wanted to make sure Griphook was protected as well, as from his observations, he was a very effective worker, and he may just get a raise out of it sometime in the future. He would have him added to his list he added goblins on to watch out for, either because of the accomplished way they carried themselves, or because he expected trouble from them.

"Yes, Director. Eban and Eanraig have both expressed an interest to guard young Mr. Potter in the special secret room connected to the private reading location, in the case you require other warriors to guard your person." Griphook said carefully.

Ragnok tapped his chin lightly and nodded. "Eban and Eanraig are my most trusted warriors, and I certainly would like to see young Mr. Potter well protected. Please send word to Cobalt and Axeheart to be on guarding duty. You may let them know that they will be protecting me." He expressed, and what was unsaid was that this protection extended to Griphook as well, and for that he was grateful.

He nodded curtly. "It will be done, Director. Is there anything else on the agenda?"

"We will have to be on high alert. I have no illusions about the Headmaster's manipulations. I would bet my vault that he coaxed some of his Order members into being his eyes and ears on this occasion, and for that reason I hope our wards are effective." He mused. "If there is any sign of our wards being breached, we will handle those guests first, so they are not privy to more information than necessary. I will have a Healer incognito on standby, and another connected private room to treat any witches or wizards of the Mind-, and Will-altering taint."

"How about the individuals that might be under an Oath or a Vow?" Griphook wondered.

"Those cases are more serious, and will need even more subtle attention. I will have a goblin, skilled in the Mind Arts on standby to ascertain how deep the promises go, and what they involve. We might just be dealing with a twenty-four hour oath, or something similar that he could get away with without too much trouble."

"Albus Dumbledore is a snake in the lion's den." Griphook snorted. "I am really incensed by his bravado that he can get away with anything without consequences." He snarled, his slanted eyes narrowing.

"Take it easy, Griphook." Director Ragnok soothed his Senior Account Manager. "The sneaky old fox will get his comeuppance. It might not happen today, or tomorrow, or even in the next ten years, but he will met his match, I assure you of that." He promised, sketching out a path in his mind, that would lead to the political and financial destruction of the elderly wizard. He would need young Mr. Potter to be on his side for this accomplishment, but he already planned on being a part of his life and teaching him goblin traditions, so it would not be too difficult, especially because he was going to be placed under the care of a wizard, that had roots in their Nation.

"Yes, Director." Griphook bowed, secretly pleased at seeing their Nation's Director's cogs turn in his head. He knew that Ragnok was their Director for a reason. He was an extremely clever goblin, with strategy skills envied by the goblins all around the world. It was not a secret, nor an accident that the British branch of Gringotts was the most successful goblin Bank.

"You did good today, Griphook." The tall goblin eventually said. "Attend to the rest of our preparations, and we will meet in the reading room by eight sharp. Dismissed." He waved his hand in permission for leave, and turned his head back to the scrolls.

"Thank you, Director." He bowed, and left his office to see to the rest of his duties, namely to alert the warriors for their assignments.

As he passed the golden gates, he came face to face with Eban and Eanraig, and let them know of their positions during the reading of the Potter will, then pushed towards to attend to the rest of his duties.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore rubbed his hands together, while his eyes twinkled with a mad gleam. He was sitting in his office, staring into his fireplace, thinking about what would happen in a few hours. He could not sleep a blink, he was so excited to lay his hands on some information he could use to his advantage.

The Headmaster was certain that with Remus and Miss McKinnon under his thumb, the goblins would not be able to circumvent his plans.

He glanced over at his pet perching on his golden pole, his icy blue eyes gazing into his soul. "Well, Fawkes, my friend, this is a glorious day indeed." He said merrily and the bird shook his head and glanced outside, displeased with the behaviour of his human.

He was yearning for something good, something better that he could not get in his bond with Albus, but he was stuck. He was stuck by a bond that only the purest heart would be able to dispel. He bobbed his head to the side, and burrowed in his feathers longingly. He prayed there would come a day where he could soar the skies without abandon. He could not go outside much, as Albus disliked it immensely, so he could only sneak out at night, when his wizard was sleeping to wander the skies above the Forgotten Forests.

Dumbledore frowned at the attitude of the red and gold feathered bird, but then shrugged and guided his attention towards his thoughts about the reading of the will. He hoped he would get word about the location of young Harry, so he could place him with his blood relatives, activating the blood ward that he placed over their residence.

Only time would tell.

* * *

Fiona Flitwick was as skittish as a newborn kitten. She was fiddling with the hem of her blanket, that was haphazardly draped over her petite body. She sat up, shaking her long brunette curls out of her face, and yawned.

"Lissy!" She called out in a soft voice.

"Missy Fina called?" The small house-elf asked, looking eagerly up at her Mistress.

"Yes, Lissy. Please see to it that my Father and Auntie Minnie have a good breakfast. This is going to be a trying day for them, and I'd like them ready for it." She said with a small smile.

Her Aunt Minerva had stayed the night in Flitwick Cottage, which was next to the seashore. The Professors decided not to go back to Hogwarts after their meeting, and spent some much needed family time together, and discussed going to Gringotts together as well.

"Yes, Missy Fina." Lissy bobbed her head. "Would Missy like her usual foods?" She asked.

Fiona nodded, and the elf popped away to do her duties in the kitchen. She stood up, walked into her small personal bathroom, and after shrugging her clothes off, she stepped into her shower, turned the water on, and let the small droplets of water fall on her skin.

She closed her eyes and relaxed, letting herself get lost in the warmth. She did not know how long she had stood there enjoying the water. She only shook herself out of her trance, when Lissy popped in to let her know that breakfast was served in the dining room. She nodded, and washed herself, stepping out of the shower and cleaning her fog coated mirror with her hand to look at her reflection.

Fiona's eyes widened at the sight. Her eyes were paler than usual, and there were dark circles under them. Her eyelashes were still wet, and her skin was a rather unhealthy colour, because of the stress and grief she was experiencing. She took a deep breath, and dried her hair with a flick of her wrist, as she was well-versed in wandless magic, when it came to the most simple spells and charms.

She walked back into her room and donned her formal clothes, which consisted of midnight blue robes with a black cloak, the Flitwick family crest adorning the spot just above her chest. Her clothing was discreet, yet elegant, worthy to represent their family line.

Fiona walked over to her vanity table, and sat down, reaching for the small wooden chest situated under her mirror. As she opened it, her eyes caressed her small collection of jewelery and hair accessories, and chose a small goblin-crafted silver hair-comb, with the Flitwick family filigree design adorning the smooth surface, and gracefully pinned it in her hair, parting it sideways, for her hair to tastefully fall across her left shoulder in a silky curtain of curls.

Once she was done getting herself ready for the day, she made her way towards the dining room, where she greeted her Father and Aunt, - who were similarly dressed -, fondly.

"Good morning, Father." She smiled, and kissed the top of his head, which was not difficult to do so, since she was a bit taller than him. "It's nice to see you too, Aunt Minnie." She graced the elder witch with a hug, and sat at the table.

"Likewise, dear daughter." Flitwick smiled, and reached for a piece of bacon. "Thank you for asking Lissy to take care of us." He chuckled, knowing how fond the little elf was of her Fia, even if technically he was the Master of the House.

She smiled warmly, and poured herself some pumpkin juice.

"Did you sleep well, love?" Minerva asked the younger witch, reaching out to flick a stray loose hair off the shoulder of her robe. "Honestly, you should take better care of your formal attire." She said sternly, with a playful light in her eyes.

"Yes, Aunt Minnie." She grinned at the half-hearted reprimand, that was supposed to lighten the mood. "Not well, no. How about you? Did you have a good night?" She asked.

They shook their heads in tandem in the negative, and she sighed. They ate in silence, with only the sounds of clinking goblets and tinkling eating utensils audible.

Once they were finished, they made their way towards the apparation point in the back garden, and apparated to Gringotts, where they were checked out by the goblin guards and escorted towards a private room, that was bursting with life.

Soon after they arrived, the room was locked down, and an imposing goblin took the stand.

"Good morning! I am Director Ragnok, and the goblin standing by my side is Griphook, the Head of the Potter Accounts. We are gathered here today to read the last will of James and Lily Potter, as instructed to us." His voice was raspy, and it radiated power.

The gathered company looked solemn, and there wasn't a dry eye in the room, except for the goblins, of course. They all waited to learn about the last wishes of the couple they loved so dearly.

* * *

The Director looked towards Griphook, who nodded and discreetly lifted two of his fingers to signal the number of guests that were either under the effects of Mind-, and Will-altering Potions, a Vow, or an Oath. He nodded, closed his eyes briefly, and focused his magic upon the wards, gently seeking assistance in showing him the witches or wizards, whose integrity was questionable.

He felt the magic's presence warm inside him for a second, as if agreeing to his silent plea, and then he opened his eyes, looking around the room and noting that one of the witches had a sickly green glow in her aura, and one of the males had both an earthly brown faint, a binding blue glow around him, which let him know that he was a werewolf under a temporary oath.

He grunted in his head, displeased at Dumbledore's audacity to cause trouble, but pleased for his own foresight to erect the wards. His Warders will get a special feast tonight, that was for certain.

"Well, let us begin." He said smoothly. "Once I read the section that relates to your person, you shall be escorted by a goblin teller, who will see to your new fortune, objects, or the deeds of your new property." He explained, and a soft murmur bristled through the gathering crowd.

"Griphook, if you would." He said, and the goblin handed over a large scroll into his hands and respectfully stepped back.

"I, James Charlus Potter, and I, Lilien Eleanor Potter, being of sound memory and mind, and not acting under duress or undue influence, fully understanding the nature and extent of all our property and of this disposition thereof, do hereby make, publish, and declare this document to be our Last Will and Testament, and do hereby revoke any and all other wills and codicils heretofore made by us." He read out loud, and looked up at his able audience, who seemed solemn in their grief.

"First things first. We direct that the expenses of our funeral, and burial, be paid as soon after our death as may be reasonably convenient, and we hereby authorize our personal representative and solicitor Ted Tonks, hereinafter appointed, to settle and discharge, in his absolute discretion, any claims made against our estate."

The eyes of Andromeda became misty with tears as she glanced over to her husband, whose face was set with determination. He was aware of his duties, as the solicitor of the Potters, and nodded briefly to The Director, in recognition of his duties.

"We further direct that our personal representative shall pay out of our estate any and all estate and inheritance taxes payable by reason of our death in respect of all items included. We ask the Head of our Accounts to set aside a vault with enough galleons from our estate to pay these fees, and we ask the key be located with Ted Tonks." He read further along, and Griphook stepped forward with a Gringotts vault key, handing it to the muggle-born.

Ted accepted the key with a curt nod, and sat back beside his wife, reaching out to hold her hand. He knew that he had to stay the entire length of the reading, as he had an official capacity to uphold.

"Secondly, the entirety of the property owned by us at our death, real and personal, and wherever we situate, we devise and bequeath to the following individuals, as divided by our pre-determined design."

"To Marlene McKinnon," Ragnok read, and looked at the witch, who was fiddling with her fingers, and smiled a strange smile. "we leave ten thousend galleons to establish the foundation of the business she always dreamed about owning. You have been a faithful friend, we wish you great happiness!" He read, and motioned for Griphook to step forward.

Griphook grabbed an official document, and motioned for Miss McKinnon to follow the goblin he pointed towards to a private room. Unbeknownst to her and every human in the room, the goblin was Healer Zaire incognito, ready to look the witch over, and then guide her to settle her inheritance.

"Very good." Director Ragnok nodded. "Continuing on, to Remus Lupin, one of our most treasured friends, we leave one hundred and fifty thousend galleons, and our cottage in Ayr, Scotland. Teach our Harry to be the voice of reason, and please be there to calm down Sirius, when he undoubtedly gets in to way too much trouble. May you find the strength you seek, our friend. We love you and we will always accept you. May you find that special witch, who shall make your heart grow wings! " He read, and looked at the werewolf, who was struggling with flushing with the most interesting red hues.

The Director chuckled inwardly, and motioned for the overwhelmed and slightly embarrassed wizard to follow another nondescript goblin out to the same private room, Miss McKinnon left to.

"To Alice and Frank Longbottom, our dear friends, we leave our family home located in Galway, near the beautiful Irish Galway Bay, and twenty-five thousend galleons to add to the Trust of our godson, Neville. May you live long and happy lives together, and see your son grow up into a wonderful young man." Ragnok's voice murmured as softly, as it was possible for an imposing goblin, as he was aware of the state the Longbottom couple was in.

He looked towards the formidable Longbottom matriarch, Augusta Longbottom, as she dabbed at her eyes with a silk handkerchief. She rose from her seat, bowed to the Director, and followed another goblin teller out the door, after accepting some scrolls from Griphook.

"To our most unique friend, Miss Selene Lovegood, we leave a box of rare Potion Ingredients, and a copy of the Potter Family's Potion Grimoire that will serve our wonderful Potion Mistress, beautifully. The original of the book shall stay with our son. We also grant Selene access to our Herb Farm up in the Welsh mountains to make use of it, and maintain it to her heart's content. You are a wonderful person, Lene, and we just know that your daughter is going to be twice blessed." Ragnok read and Selene sniffled, stepping forward to accept a beautifully crafted chest, and an ancient looking tome.

"The chest is bigger on the inside, and each ingredient is contained within unbreakable glass." Griphook explained, as he motioned for her to follow another teller, who had a scroll in his hands, which contained the permit for the use of the Potter Farm.

"To Dorcas Meadows, we leave ten thousend galleons to help her future endeavours. Thank you for the friendship, Dory." He read and the blonde witch had a sad smile on her face. She politely bowed towards The Director, and followed her teller towards the Main Hall to conduct their business.

"To Emmeline Vance, we leave ten thousend galleons to do with it what she pleases. Thank you for the memories, Ems." He read out in his raspy voice, and she followed after another goblin, stiffly, not even looking at anyone.

"To Andromeda and Ted Tonks, we leave our vacation home in Blackpool, in England, situated by the sea. Please enjoy your life, and don't be a stranger to our Harry!" Ragnok read, and Griphook held out a scroll with the deed to the cottage, and let them sit themselves back to their seats, as they were permitted, and required through Ted, to stay through the entirety of the reading.

"To Amelia Bones, we leave ten thousend galleons to aid her personal dreams. We know you are a professional, Amy, but please don't let that stop you from living your life and shooting for the stars. Marry our Sirius and be an important part in Harry's life. Make sure Susan and Harry grow up as brother and sister, and not lonely children who yearn for company." He read, and looked at the shocked, gobsmacked face of the Head of the Auror force.

"Madame Bones, you might want to stay through the entirety of the reading, as you may discover some official information you seek." He said mysteriously, and the witch blinked and nodded, accepting her scroll from Griphook. Her curiosity was radiating off of her in waves, but she was not anything, if she was not professional, so she schooled her features into propriety, and exercised patience.

"The inheritance to Peter Pettigrew has conditions. In the case we die of natural causes, we leave Peter one hundred thousend galleons to make his life easier. In the case that we become victims of Death Eathers, let it be known that Peter Pettigrew was the Keeper of our location's Secret, and henceforth be withdrawn from the eligibility of his inheritance. " The Director's voice vibrated through the private room, and yells of surprise and shock were audible in the still sizable audience of the reading.

" _What?!_ " Amelia Bones yelled, jumping up from her seat. Even though she was certain of the innocence of her fiancé, she was still shaken by the betrayal. "Director Ragnok, may I request a copy of this will to be introduced as evidence in the case of Sirius Black and the murder of Peter Pettigrew, and the twelve dead muggles?" She asked respectfully.

The goblin nodded. "Permission granted, but I ask that the rest of the content of the will, such as the guardianship of Mr. Harry Potter be protected under a Secrecy Oath. We have reason to believe, that there are individuals out there who wish to control, or harm him." He said, and Amelia's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline.

"Understood, Director." She eventually said, and tapped her chin in thought. "May I request your audience to further discuss the implications of your request? I know that the Ministry and the Goblin Nation had difficulties of communication in the past, and I would like to start working on opening more reliable channels between us." She offered, and to her surprise her suggestion was welcomed.

"That's a good idea, Madame Bones. I will owl you at a time of convenience to set up an appointment." He said and motioned for her to be seated once more.

"Well, now that we wrapped that up. I shall continue on reading the will." He cleared his throat. "To Petunia Dursley, we leave the equivalent of ten thousend pounds. We may have had our differences, but you were my sister, and James' sister-in-law, so we would like you looked after. Our only stipulation is that the money is placed at an account only Petunia has access to." He read out loud, and was met with blank looks.

"I see that Mrs. Dursley neglected to show up to this meeting, so we will open correspondence by owl." He said and would have read further, if not for a subtle cough.

"Director, Ragnok, if I may?" Filius Flitwick asked, and received a nod. "I was aware of Lily's home life, and she and her sister were estranged, on the count of the disapproval of magic on her sister's side." He explained, and there were gasps among the witches and wizards present. "I would like to respectfully ask that you contact them through a muggle method instead, to respect the wishes of the Potters."

Ragnok raised an eyebrow in contemplation. "If it would be up to me, then her inheritance would be held back on account of the disrespect she held for the late Lady Potter, however, I must honour the last testament of the Potters, so I will do as you suggest, Master Flitwick."

"Thank you." Filius bowed, and dropped his hands into his lap, relaxing his tense shoulders.

He nodded and continued. "To Minerva McGonagall, our wonderful mentor and friend, we leave one hundred thousend galleons, and copies of the Potter Family's Transfiguration Grimoires, furthermore we leave her a gift certificate of ten thousend galleons to Mythos Tomes, an owl order establishment, where they are able to look up any ancient text or tomes one can possibly desire. Thank you for being there for me and teaching me, my Mistress, it was a pleasure to be your Apprentice. And I know Lily couldn't have asked for a more caring second mother. We love you, and we would like you to be an honourary Aunt or Grandmother to our Harry, whichever you prefer."

When The Director looked up, there were clear tears in the corners of the Transfiguration Professor's eyes, and there were wide eyes staring at her, because of the information that was slipped. He could only guess that James Potter apprenticing under her was a well-guarded secret.

"Thank you." She whispered quietly, as Griphook held out her inheritance, and she accepted the scrolls and tomes with a shaky hand, placing them into her lap. Filius snaked an arm around her shoulders and she smiled a watery smile at him.

Ragnok smiled subtly, and guided his eyes back to the will, which was nearing it's end. "To Sirius Black, one of our best friends, and Harry's Godfather, we leave one hundred thousend galleons and our property near Lake Trasimeno, in Italy. May you enjoy many summers in your new vacation home. Please take care of our Harry, and be there for him, show him everything that we cannot anymore. Make an honest woman out of Amy, and love our Harry." He read out loud, and heard a soft sigh. He looked up and saw Madame Bones on the verge of her emotions, holding in what she was feeling. Amelia Bones was a true professional after all.

"To Fiona Flitwick, my honourary sister, and James' honourary sister-in-law, we leave one hundred thousend galleons, one of our property in the heart of Paris, and copies of our research into curing Lycantrophy. You were always my research partner, please continue our legacy, dear sister, and help Harry grow into a respectable young man. As his Godmother, may you be the gentle motherly influence that he needs. May you be his rock, and guide him when his heart is yearning for his other half. May you find bliss and happiness in your life. We love you so very much!"

The Director looked at the youngest Flitwick, who was displaying a cascade of emotions, as she was clutching onto her father' robes, her eyes and face soaked with her tears, her petite body trembling. He glanced at Griphook, and motioned for him to place the documents of her inheritance next to her, so she could seek the comfort she needed from Master Flitwick.

"Thank you." She whispered, acknowledging their kindness.

Ragnok nodded politely, and glanced at Filius briefly, then turned his attention back at the document. "To Filius Flitwick, our brilliant mentor, and friend, we leave one hundred thousend galleons, and copies of the Potter Family's Charms Tome collection, furthermore, we leave him a gift certificate of ten thousend galleons, also to Mythos Tomes to enjoy. Thank you for practically adopting me into your family, my Master, it was a pleasure to be your Apprentice. I know James couldn't have asked for a better mentor in how to duel either. We love you, and we have a very important task to ask of you." Ragnok read out, and looked in his direction.

" _ **We would like you to accept guardianship of our son, Harry Potter.**_ " He read quietly, and the statement was greeted with complete silence.

* * *

 **A/N:** Finally, we reach this point. I feel like I have been sitting on this, ever since I started writing this story. I am sorry for not updating sooner, I was struggling with wording the will as officially as I was able, I hope I did it justice.

I wrote most of this today, and if you see any uncertain wording or messy sentences, it's because I bumped my head rather harshly to the wall two days ago, and it has been throbbing since. My mother thinks I have a case of mild concussion, and I certainly noticed several errors when I read it over just now to correct mistakes, so please excuse them.

I would also like to take my time and answer to a Guest, who just a few hours ago left a comment on Chapter 5, criticizing the length of both the chapter and my Author's Notes:

I believe you should learn to spell words correctly and study sentence structure, before you go ahead and lay judgment on me and mine, Your Rudeness. Perhaps then you could insult me in your colourful language in style, instead of looking like a fool. Rest assured, I am not a least bit bothered by you threatening me to abandon my story, please do so. I write for my own enjoyment, it is just a welcomed blessing that my readers enjoy what I write as well.

With that wrapped up in a neat bow, I would like to thank everyone for the follows, favourites and reviews. :)


	10. Harry James Flitwick

The entire room was quiet as The Director looked around and repeated the last statement to make sure it sunk in. " _ **We would like you to accept guardianship of our son, Harry Potter.**_ " He read with more volume, and continued on with the explanation the Potters had included to go with their request.

"We know it would be customary to ask Harry's Godparents to assume guardianship of our son, but we thought that they are still very young, and a child is way too much responsibility for any young adult to carry, especially for those who did not specifically plan for childcare. We have all the faith in their ability to support Harry, but we would like them to live full lives at their pace, without the added pressure of being a full-time parent. We ask with all the hope and love in our hearts that they remain a major part in Harry's life, as his twin-pillars of support. Merlin knows if there is anything to go by on genetics, he will be a handful, like James was." Ragnok looked up when he heard a watery chuckle coming from Minerva and Filius at Lily's gentle jibe at her husband's Marauder heritage.

"We love you very much, Fiona and Sirius, and we hope you understand our reasoning, and continue to love Harry and guide him as the wonderful Godparents you are." He briefly glanced at Miss Flitwick, who nodded and whispered a barely audible _'I love you too_ ', before laying her head on Master Flitwick's shoulder.

"Dearest Filius, you are a very important person to the Potter family. You have the wisdom, the discipline and all the kindness that our little Harry would need in his life to grow up as a healthy and balanced young man. You come from a family that respects every magical, and non-magical individual equally." The Director paused reading for a second, and nodded to himself in acknowledgement of the truth of the statement.

"Harry will learn to be open-minded and accepting raised by your standards. He will not tolerate favouritism, or bigotry. He will learn to be kind and trusting, but he will fight for the noble reasons of life, like you always do. He will learn to grow into his magical core with the grace you carry yourself with. Under your mentorship he will no doubt grow to be masterful at his skill-set, no matter the nature of his abilities."

"You, my Master, gave me the gift of family, you gave me a sister when my own blood rejected the very being of me, and for that I will be forever grateful. It is your acceptance of me in your family, as your honourary daughter, which sealed the deal on our desire to appoint you as our son's guardian. You will no doubt help him prosper with everything we mentioned already, but most importantly you will show him love, and he will have somewhere to belong with you, like I did."

"Please, think through our request. We understand if it would be too much to ask of you, and we have a separate clause in our will for other possible guardians should it become a necessity, - that will stay invisible -, unless you reject the opportunity, which we hope won't happen. Our representative and solicitor, Ted Tonks, has a copy of the pre-approved adoption paper we legally drafted with the help of the goblins, and our Head of the Potter Accounts has the original."

Director Ragnok looked at his able audience and stared into many emotional faces.

Filius was gobsmacked with the faith the Potters had in him, and the request of guardianship took him by complete and total surprise. He was fully expecting his daughter to be asked to step up for the role, since Lily and her were really sisterly, ever since the day they met each other. He also expected them to ask Minerva, before they actually asked him, however, he did think that Sirius was too foolhardy to be a full-time parent at this moment in time, which was proven by his foolish attempt at going after Pettigrew, which he had no doubt in his mind, - even before the reading of the will -, was what happened.

Minerva was smiling at her long-time friend, with a soft watery smile, that was uncharacteristic of her to show in public, as usually she wore the mask of stern Transfiguration Mistress dutifully. She learned early in her line of profession, that the softer you represent yourself to a class of miscreants, the more they attempt to cause trouble and slack off in their studies, thus she developed her own teaching persona, that was completely different from the warm-hearted woman that was her true self.

In rare occasions, like with the Potters and their Marauder friends, she would let her mask fall, and establish the bonds of friendship that would last a lifetime. After all, no matter what the troublemakers projected to those in the _know,_ who else would have taught them to be Animagi, other than their Transfiguration Professor, who was an Animagus herself?

McGonagall had caught the trio in the Restricted Section in the Hogwarts Library, after midnight one day, perusing old Transfiguration Tomes in search of information on how to achieve the feat of being an Animagus. After she properly chastised them for being out past curfew, detracted a good amount of House Points, and administered detentions for each of them, she actually asked the glowing question of why they were looking for information on being Animagi.

Of course, she had a good idea about them being interested in attempting to be Animagi themselves, but she just could not think of any plausible reason three eleven year old children should even think about transfiguring themselves into animals.

At first there was awkward silence between the rule-breakers and their Head of House, but then timid little Peter Pettigrew blurted out young Remus Lupin's condition, and Minerva's eyes widened significantly. As Hogwarts Staff, she was privy to his predicament, but the fact that his dorm-mates were aware of him being a werewolf dumbfounded the witch.

Sirius and James glared at the blond boy until the Professor shared that she already knew about this, in fact the entirety of the Hogwarts faculty did, and asked them to specify the exact reason they wished to learn. Once they told her that they did not want their friend to be lonely during the Full Moon, and wanted to provide the young lycantroph with company during his transformations, her stern mask fell, and she offered an unprecedented opportunity of teaching them in secret.

She discovered James' affinity for Transfiguration early on in their private tutoring sessions, and she began paying more attention to him in class, giving him extra assignments, and paving the way for the possibility of taking him on as an Apprentice later on, which she did in his Fifth Year.

The same way Filius had taken a shine to Lily, she had taken a shine to James, and it was partially due to some friendly meddling by their Master and Mistress that they eventually stopped bickering like an old married couple to realize the good qualities in each other.

Minerva glanced at Filius, and her eyes softened at his expression. It was something akin to a mixture of shock, awe and sheer disbelief. She chuckled softly, and looked over to his daughter, who was both offering support to her father, and seeking his strength at the same time. There was a certain pride shining in her face at the thought of her father being this important to the Potters.

Nothing showed how much he meant to the late couple, like entrusting the safety of their only son to him.

"Well? What do you say, Master Flitwick?" Ragnok asked after letting the request sink in. "Would you like to take up the responsibility of being the sole guardian of Mr. Harry James Potter, or shall we activate the rejection clause?"

" _ **I would like to take care of the youngest Potter, and hereby humbly accept the guardianship of Harry Potter.**_ " He said, standing up, and bowing to The Director respectfully. "I shall do my best to live up to the expectations and faith Lily and James placed in me."

Ragnok grinned a toothy grin that looked dangerous on a goblin's face, and motioned for both Griphook and Ted Tonks to step forward. "Let's begin taking care of the administration then, shall we." He said in an official tone, and grabbed a goblin-sanctioned Blood Quill that they used for signing legal papers.

Filius stood up as well, making his way towards the simple rectangle shaped desk with a smooth wooden surface, with several documents laid atop. He looked at the red Quill that sent shivers down his spine, as in his youth he had the misfortune to come across a rather vicious goblin, who decided to punish him for choosing to be a wand-wielder, instead of following the goblin customs, no matter that he was a half-blood.

The Director noticed his expression and raised an eyebrow at the odd reaction. He expected witches and wizards to shiver at the sight of a Blood Quill, as it was illegal according to Wizarding law, but he was surprised at Filius' reaction, as he had a standing in goblin circles as well.

He shook his head and nodded towards Griphook, who walked to the wall, motioned in an intricate pattern with his hands three times over, and a door appeared seemingly out of thin air. He tapped his fingertips against the door's surface and it opened to reveal two more goblins adorned in very high quality armour.

"Eban, Eanraig, please escort young Mr. Potter to us." The Director spoke swiftly, and turned to glance at the small baby with the soft tuft of black hair, and unblemished skin in Eban's black coloured arms.

As they walked closer, the witches and wizards in the room gasped, until Amelia spoke her mind. "Merlin and Morgana! He has an unblemished forehead. How is that possible?" She asked in genuine wonder, echoing the question that lingered in almost everyone's minds.

"When Professor McGonagall alerted us to young Mr. Potter's situation, we sent a team of warriors to retrieve him to safety, and sensed the foulest Dark magic possible in his scar. A team of highly skilled goblin Healers had worked together tirelessly to remove the taint from him." He explained without mentioning Horcruxes.

Madame Bones' eyes widened, and there was a murmur spiced with gasps and yells of disbelief audible across the room. They could not believe that Dumbledore just let the little boy to suffer with a cursed scar, like it was the most natural thing to do.

Andromeda was wringing her hands together in anxiety as she ran the possible scenarios in her head. There was only so many things Harry's cursed scar could have been, and given that she used to be a Black, she had a pretty good grasp on Dark Magic, even if she refused to practice it. Her aunt, Walburga, had forced her to at least read through the dark tomes in the Black Library, to have knowledge about their traditions and the path they wanted her to take.

That is when she came across a thin text on _Soul Vessels_ and the method of creating them. It was possibly the foulest ritual she had ever read about, and even the thought of the ritual itself made her feel nauseous. The possibility that the Dark Lord had went through with the ritual was high, and then, as demented as he was, he most likely repeated the feat only Merlin knows how many times.

The thought that the innocent little son of the late Potters could have been such a vessel made her feel sick. Mrs. Tonks paled significantly, and grasped at the edge of her chair frantically, trying to take a couple of deep breaths. It was not a good idea to panic, and it definitely was not a good idea to let others know the reason why she was panicking.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Ted asked, when he glanced at the direction of his wife, leaping to her side and kneeling in front of her. "You are white as sheet." He said with worry flickering in his voice.

"N-nothing." She shook her head in denial, and squeezed her husband's hand. "Don't worry, love." She smiled a small smile, and forced her breathing under control.

Ragnok looked at the pale witch, and realized that she suspected the truth of the cursed scar, if not knew about the origin for sure. "Dragonclaw, please fetch a Calming Draught for Mrs. Tonks." He asked, showing a kind of courtesy that goblins usually neither shown, nor received.

"As you wish, Director." The nondescript goblin replied, and hurried out of the room, just to return a few seconds later with a potion vial in his hands. Unbeknownst to the witches and wizards present , this room was connected with several others, one of which was a small Potion Storage. Gringotts Bank extended deep underground, so at strategic points, several facilities and necessary item storage rooms were installed for the safety of their Nation.

"Thank you kindly." Andromeda said softly, as she accepted the potion from the goblin heartily and with a swift gulp downed it, relaxing immediately afterwards, as the liquid soothed her senses and tense muscles.

"You are welcome." Director Ragnok nodded, and looked at his audience. "May we get back to the matter at hand?" He asked, not wishing to go into detail about the Horcrux issue, as it really was not appropriate for this meeting, and there was still a lot to do.

"Certainly, I apologize for my outburst, Director." Madame Bones bowed and the rest of the gathering murmured their own apologies and everyone, except Ted and Filius had sat back down to their seats.

"Good." He grunted. " _ **Now, Master Flitwick, do you wish to take young Mr. Potter under your family name?**_ He would maintain his name, as he is the last of his line, but officially, until requested otherwise, he would be known as _**Harry James Flitwick**_."

Filius and Minerva shared a glance with each other, communicating with their eyes and nodded in a shared understanding. He also glanced at Fiona, whom nodded with a bright smile in agreement, so the tiny wizard made his decision known.

" _ **Yes, I wish to take young Harry under my name, as it will provide both a sense of family and protection to him**_. However, should he wish to be known as Harry Potter, he should be reverted back to his original name." He squeaked in a clear voice.

"Very well." He nodded, did a few corrections to the parchment before him, and pushed the original legal document towards Flitwick. "Please sign above the dotted line. We will also need the signature of two witnesses." He said, and motioned for Ted and Minerva to act the part, and they signed both the original document, and the copy resting with the solicitor himself.

Eban stepped forward and placed young Harry into The Director's arms, as he was aware that he got attached to the little boy, and the Flitwick family would take him home soon. He wanted Director Ragnok to be a pleased goblin, because a disgruntled Director was a danger to be around, and he had to guard him at all times.

"Let's finish the reading with the inheritance of Harry, and then we can all get on with our day." Ragnok said stiffly and passed the baby to Miss Flitwick, so his Godmother could soothe the now rather nosily crying baby boy.

"Thank you for accepting responsibility for our Harry, Filius. We knew you wouldn't let us down, please love him as we would." He read. "We come to the last section of our will, the inheritance to our son, Harry James Potter, now Harry James Flitwick. To our son, we leave all of our remaining property, money, valuables, books, potion ingredients, artifacts, both personal and material items, the entirety of both our wizarding and non-magical holdings, and our legacy. We set up a Trust Vault for Harry that will pay both for his schooling and his clothing, feeding, and the general cost of taking care of him for the next seventeen years. This vault can be topped up to the maximum value every year from the main Potter vaults." He paused reading, and took a sip of goblin ale and then continued.

"Please only let Harry know about us when he is old enough to understand. We direct that when Harry gets eleven years old, he be allowed to get a real look into his wealth and holdings, and learn about what responsibility being Lord Potter comes with, when he takes up his proper place in wizarding society." He cleared his throat. "We direct that there be no betrothal contracts between Harry and anyone else, unless he knows and approves of the match. He should never be troubled with calculated relationships. Please always make him be aware that in his life, he always has a choice."

"We direct that until Harry becomes of age, or takes up the mantle of his Lordship, his inheritance shall be untouchable to him, except for his Trust Vault, which should be enough to take care of him and let him enjoy his young life." He said and looked up from the parchment briefly to see amusement twinkling in Master Flitwick's eyes. He chuckled inwardly, sensing just how much _fun_ the Dueling Champion will have as a father of a famous baby boy.

"We thank you for respecting our wishes, and for taking care of Harry. Blessed be for all that you have done and will do for the Potter family, Filius! May you find bliss and happiness with him as your son. Thank you! Signed, James Charlus Potter and Lilien Eleanor Potter. Witnessed by Ted Tonks, and Griphook, Head of the Potter Accounts." Ragnok finished reading and let go of the will, which magically scrolled itself up, and placed itself back under the Potter family seal.

"With that we finish the reading of the last Will and Testament of James and Lily Potter. May they find happiness together in the Afterlife." He bowed, and handed the scroll to Griphook. "Please take the documents back to the Potter vault." He directed him, and turned towards the gathered individuals.

"Thank you for attending, I wish you all a good day." He said politely and walked towards Miss Flitwick, glancing at the baby in her arms. "I wish you happiness, little one. There will come a day that we will meet again, not far in your future, until then, blessed be child."

The Flitwick family stared as The Director, and everyone else left the room, and glanced at the newest member of their little family fondly. They huddled close together, and with Minerva by their side, took a Portkey home.

" _ **Welcome home, Harry.**_ " Filius whispered softly, as they stood in the living-room of Flitwick Cottage, that in the next few years would truly become his home.

* * *

 **A/N:** And with that, we wrap up the will and the placement of Harry, and now we can move on to where the real fun begins, the fallout from Dumbledore's machinations. That will be _so much fun_ to write about for sure.

Thank you for the follows, favourites and reviews that you have graced me with since the last chapter! c:


	11. The Fallout Pt 1 - The Memory Crystal

Albus Dumbledore was at the end of his patience, as he kept checking for the time every minute. He wanted to be in the private reading room at Gringotts, and yet here he was pacing the length of his quarters, instead of sitting in on the action. He absolutely loathed to be an outsider, and unfortunately right now, he felt like an outcast trying to look in.

"Darn the Potters!" He grumbled under his breath.

He was seething with anger that the late couple did not file their Last Testaments with the Ministry, because he was sure that he could have easily gotten a hold of the documents, if that was the case. But no, he was left with trusting _Clumsy McKinnon_ and _Wolf Boy_ to bring information to him.

Albus had a tremendous headache, so he reached up and massaged his temples soothingly, taking slow and deep breaths to calm himself. He could only hope that his pawns did not mess this up for him, because the people under his thumb had a tendency to be less than adequate. Then again, he was painfully aware that he was superior in every way to the average wizard, or witch.

He prided himself on being the best of the best, and his titles gloated about it as well. He was astounded that no one ever questioned the morality of him holding so much power over the wizarding world, but then again, he had every intention to use that to his advantage.

Dumbledore glanced at Fawkes carefully. The red and golden bird was worrying him lately. He had the annoying tendency to just stare at him forlornly, and then he turned around on his golden perch, completely ignoring him for the next couple of days, unless he needed his services. He tried to entice the phoenix with exotic fruit, and an even shinier perch, but nothing seemed to be working.

If he knew it was not completely impossible, he would be worried that Fawkes was planning to leave him, but as that was unthinkable, he crushed those thoughts and shrugged his shoulders. He would obviously keep trying to bring the dumb bird out of his self-imposed depression, but it was nowhere near a priority for him to deal with his familiar's moodiness.

He snorted to himself. He had _way more_ important issues to deal with, namely the Potter will.

"Lunch time could not come fast enough." He muttered, and disappeared into his quarters to get ready for his luncheon with McKinnon.

~oo~oOo~oo~

After the reading was finished and over with, The Director slipped into the conjoint area, where a disguised Healer Zaire, and a few goblin guards were keeping Remus Lupin, and Marlene McKinnon from leaving the Gringotts premises.

"Director Ragnok, what's the meaning of this?" Lupin yelled, with poorly masked anger. "Your goblin warriors have manhandled me and Miss McKinnon into this room, and that is less than proper decorum, especially, because we have not done anything wrong." He gestured wildly, and found himself dangerously close to a goblin weapon.

Eban narrowed his slanted eyes at the werewolf, and snarled threateningly. "You will address Director Ragnok properly, or so help me, you will find yourself impaled on the sharp end of my blade!"

Ragnok watched as the witch's eyes widened, and she was not able to disguise her trembling, no matter how white her knuckles were becoming from her efforts to steady herself. He felt a pang of something similar to compassion for the female human, so he stepped forward, and placed a hand on his guard's shoulder.

"It's alright, Eban. I am sure Mr. Lupin meant no harm, isn't that right?" He stared at the lycanthrophe, a warning glint reflecting in his dark eyes.

The poorly dressed man swallowed his anger and nodded. He closed his eyes briefly, and tried to shake the excessive anger off. He had been extremely irritable and prone to impulsive expression of aggression lately, and that had worried him. It was not like him to act this way, but ever since the death of the Potters, it was like something was unleashed inside him.

"I apologize." He said carefully, taking another deep breath. "I have difficulties with managing my emotions recently, I meant no slight, or offense." He explained, and glanced at Marlene, who was looking ghastly.

Remus stepped closer to the trembling witch, and patted her on the shoulder, which was supposed to be a calming gesture, but did nothing to soothe the witch. She stepped away from the man, and forward towards the goblins.

"May I ask why have we been held back?" She asked softly, with a lot of effort to keep her voice from shaking. "I have an important lunch date to prepare for, and I have some errands to run beforehand." She explained.

"Certainly, Miss McKinnon." The Director answered politely. "You and Mr. Lupin have been detained, because you both breached our security wards in one way or another, and we take such matters very seriously here at Gringotts." He said, and his statement was met with shocked silence.

Marlene's eyes widened slightly, and Remus spluttered in indignation, however taking note of the sharp sword wielding midnight black goblin staring him down menacingly, he thought better than yelling at his imposing leader again, and spoke with a controlled voice.

"But that is _impossible_. I have no desire to breach any of your wards, or cause any harm to Gringotts." Lupin expressed. " _Why_ would I do such a thing?" He asked incredulously.

"Same here, Director. I have no designs on breaching your security. I have no plans to steal, or infiltrate anything, I was only here today for the reading of the Potter will." She sighed.

Ragnok shared a look with Griphook, who stepped forward from a secret spot, where he was keeping himself unseen, quietly watching the scene unfold without interrupting.

"You have breached our security wards differently." He spoke. "Miss McKinnon here is under potion induced mind control, while Mr. Lupin is under some kind of oath, that was threatening the integrity of the will reading, hence we have read the parts of your inheritance first." The short goblin explained.

The werewolf and the witch shared a worried look between them, and stared at the goblins warily.

"Please calm down-" Director Ragnok said, to hopefully avoid the panic attack that he was sure was threatening to take over Miss McKinnon any second now. "We are aware that you personally are not accountable for this breach of security, however, you are unknowingly controlled by the one you trust the most to look out for your best interests."

Remus furrowed his brows, and paled as realization dawned on him. "That-, that is _impossible_!" He whispered in a pained voice. "That wizard is the _most generous_ person that I have ever had the blessing to meet." He shook his head in denial.

Eanraig snorted, but kept quiet, as his superior shot him a warning look.

"What are you talking about?" Miss McKinnon asked, slightly confused. She was not adapt at connecting the dots, no matter how obvious they were. For the moment the witch and her question were ignored however, as Griphook and The Director dressed down the moral glory of Dumbledore, in front of his most trusting pawn.

"Very well, Mr. Lupin." Griphook drawled. "Let's look at the facts, shall we?"

The werewolf nodded, albeit reluctantly. "I am listening." He muttered.

"Well, you are aware how Dumbledore is glorified as the shining hero who defeated Gellert Grindelwald, are you not?" He continued, and the werewolf nodded in the positive. "Very well. Did you know that he achieved this with the use of a muggle weapon?"

" _What?!_ " Remus choked, his voice rising, as he jumped slightly. "That-, that is _not_ possible. All accounts describe him defeating the dark wizard in a challenging duel-"

Griphook snorted. "The man disarmed Grindelwald from his wand, and then held a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. _Very heroic, indeed._ "

"That-, that's a _lie_!" He whispered, violently shaking his head. "Dumbledore is a great wizard, he _is_! He-, he would not, he would never-" He swallowed his anger and the flood of betrayal that was hitting him. " _No_ , I don't believe this-, I-, I _cannot_ believe this." He looked defiantly at the goblin teller. "Where is your _proof_?" He sneered at the goblin, who dared to look at him with such an amused expression.

Griphook drew himself to his entire height, which was not much, but he took offense at being called a liar. "First of all, Mr. Lupin, never _ever_ accuse a goblin of lying, as it is a great offense punishable by death if the accusation is proven wrong." He drawled with narrowed eyes. "However, seeing as you are shaken by the reality of the situation, I will let it slide. _Just this once_."

Ragnok cleared his throat. "I believe it would be wise to calm down, Griphook. Mr. Lupin is apparently both out of sorts, and poorly educated about our society, which is not surprising, considering what wizarding kind thinks about our nation." He said slowly, his eyes trained on the humans. "We do have more pressing matters to discuss however. Mr. Lupin asked for proof, and I will be delighted to supply it." He chuckled darkly.

He motioned to one of his personal guards, and the nondescript goblin disappeared for a few seconds, reappearing with a finely cut, positively sparkling quartz crystal in the shape of a lotus flower. He carefully handed it to The Director, and took his stance behind him once more.

"This is a memory crystal attuned to our _Memory Archive_." Ragnok explained, and touched the center of the flower shape with his sharp claw, pressing down on it, muttering a silent incantation in his mind, drawing his hand back. "I have called for the memory of one of our own, who was a hidden eye witness of what transpired between Dumbledore and Grindelwald." He explained, and muttered another incantation, and the occupants of the room were all drawn into the memory.

 _It was a grey day, where dark storm clouds dotted the sky, and the cold wind was noisily blowing the yellow autumn leaves off of their branches. Two tall men were slowly advancing on each other, covered in rich robes, layered neatly on top of an abundance of fabric, protecting them from the chilly weather._

" _We meet again, my dear Albus." A low baritone voice said silkily, delight reflecting in his tone._

" _Did you expect anything else, Gellert?" Albus asked curiously. He seemed happy to see this man, even if his eyes betrayed his purpose._

" _No, of course not. You were always predictable." Gellert chuckled, as he twirled his wand between his fingertips skillfully. "Did you happen to change your mind?"_

" _Predictable?" The other wizard echoed in an amused tone. "Hardly. And you know that I cannot change my mind. I hoped that you would, but your actions these past couple of years seem to prove otherwise." He sighed heavily, as if the other man's behaviour was merely an inconvenience._

" _Pity." Gellert sighed. "I was hoping that you would stop hiding your true colours in your 'morally sound' persona, but I can see that I was a fool for believing that."_

" _Indeed, my dear boy. I cannot let you continue like this. You are hindering my plans for the Greater Good." He admitted, and flicked his wrist, non-verbally disarming the other man of his wand._

 _Surprise and betrayal gleamed in Grindelwald's eyes. Clearly he was not expecting Albus to use a Disarming spell before their true confrontation began. Disappointment flashed across his face, as he stared down his former friend and lover, and snorted._

" _How dare you speak about the Greated Good? The Greater Good of whom? Wizarding kind? The world? Or the Greater Good of Albus bloody Dumbledore?" He yelled, and reached for his back-up wand, firing a Stunning spell his way._

" _Now, oh my boy, you were never so tactless." Albus rolled his eyes, and side-stepped the spell, weaving an intricate pattern with his newly obtained wand in the air, and a whip of flame appeared, quickly cascading towards his enraged opponent._

" _What a truly responsive masterpiece this is. I must thank you, Gellert, for going through the trouble of misappropriating this particular wand for my benefit. You are most thoughtful, my friend." He taunted._

" _Bastard!" Gellert muttered under his breath, as he ducked from the heat of the flames, and quickly whispered the counter-curse, and a lasso of ice water was swung at the orange fire, and Albus himself._

 _Albus chuckled darkly and quickly disapparated, and appeared behind the other wizard, holding a small gun flush against his temple. "This is for the Greater Good, my love, it cannot be helped." He mumbled painfully._

" _How low you have sunk..." Gellert's voice echoed, as the other man pulled the trigger, and watched his former lover fall to the ground in a heap of fabric and blood. He squatted down next to him, and placed a soft kiss on his lips._

" _I will never forget you." Albus promised softly, and gently closed Gellert's eyes, as he could not bear to watch the cold shock on his face._

 _He looked around, and saw the shocked expression of a few on-lookers, so he cast a plethora of Stunning spells, and quickly got down to work. He Obliviated the muggles, and portkeyed them to only Merlin knows where, then he turned to face down the wizarding witnesses._

" _I will offer you the opportunity to either obey me willingly, or I will Obliviate all of your memories, leaving you drooling empty shells of your former selves. Am I clear?" He asked darkly. "Of course, you cannot respond, I have stunned you, how silly of me." He chuckled, and flicked his wrist, reviving the witch and the two wizards._

" _Now, what will it be? I don't have all day." He asked impatiently._

 _They nervously shared a glance, and swallowed their fear and revulsion, somewhat successfully. The witch, who appeared to be pregnant, had lost her lunch on the shoes of Dumbledore, quickly paling as a result, when she realized her faux pas._

" _I-, I am sorry." She whispered, holding her arms protectively around her bulging belly, and the wizards stepped closer, ready to protect her, if needed._

 _Albus frowned, and cast a cleaning spell on his shoes, and turned to study the witch. She was a pretty thing really, albeit not for his taste at all, since he was keen on a different flavour completely. Nevertheless the witch was beautiful with her bright blue eyes, and soft auburn hair. She had high cheekbones, and full plump lips. She did not seem too tall, but was not short either. She was of average height, with average assets, then again, he was not the best judge when it came to feminine viles._

" _What's your name, my dear?" He asked._

" _A-a-rianne." She stammered under the wizard's blatant stares._

 _His eyes widened slightly, and he was unable to mask a strained expression. It was just his luck that one of his witnesses to murder bore a name so similar to his late sister. Was this Fate trying to tell him something?_

" _How far along are you?" He ended up asking thoughtfully._

" _S-seven months." She breathed, her body trembling from fear._

 _Dumbledore noticed her panicked expression, and he reached out to pat her cheek softly. "Now, my dear, do not worry, you have nothing to fear. I am not a completely unreasonable man." He said gently, resulting in Arianne shaking even more under his touch. "Ah, you must be cold." He reasoned, and pulled off his cloak, covering the pregnant witch tenderly. "There you go, now you can stop shivering so violently." He chuckled._

" _T-thank you." She replied, even though it was clear to everyone present that she was not cold. At the very least not from the weather._

 _Albus nodded, and his gaze trailed on the wizards. "Any of them your husband?"_

 _She nodded, and reached for the man on her right, squeezing his hand._

" _Perfect." Albus exclaimed in glee, and stared at the husband. "You can help me then. It will really be to your benefit, seeing as you would not want anything to happen to your pretty wife, right?" He asked jovially, twirling a curl of her soft hair between his fingertips._

" _N-no, I will help you, if you promise never to harm Arianne and our child." He said in a rough voice, holding his wife's hand in a death-grip._

" _Of course, of course. I believe we shall do an Unbreakable Vow, how about it? I guarantee the safety of your wife and unborn child, and your guarantee your silence, and your aid in my cover-up." He nodded, and turned to the other wizard. "You can be our binder, of course, unless you want to, I don't know, suffer an unfortunate accident."_

 _The wizard's eyes hardened, but he nodded. "I will be the binder."_

" _Perfect. I knew you people were as reasonable as I." He chuckled, and pulled the husband of Arianne up. "What's your name?"_

" _Hugo." He gritted between his teeth, reluctant to let Arianne's hand go._

" _Very well, Hugo. Do you promise to aid me, Albus Dumbledore, in covering up Gellert Grindelwald's death in any way required of you?" He asked, with his wand out and pointing upwards to the sky, but slightly angled towards the man._

" _I do." Hugo promised, and stared him down. "Do you promise to protect Arianne Smith and our unborn child from any harm, and leave them without the bitter memory of this day, leaving any other memories in tact?" He asked slyly, after all he had no desire for her wife to ever remember this day again._

 _Albus' eyes twinkled with admiration of the intellect of this man. Too bad that he would not enjoy it long. "I do."_

 _The other wizard did his duty, and bound their vow._

" _Very well. I am sorry that it has to come to this, but... Obliviate!" Albus said softly, leaving their binder without any memories at all._

" _But, he played by your rules. That was not fair!" Hugo yelled, and Dumbledore chuckled._

" _This is not about playing fair, if you have not noticed it yet." He enlightened him, and turned to Arianne. "I promise to keep you and your child safe from harm, I do keep some promises after all, and fortunately for you, I am bound by our vow, so you have nothing to worry about. You will not remember me, and I am sorry to say, but you will never see your husband again."_

" _What, why?!" Arianne jumped slightly, with an angry and fearful expression on her face._

" _Well, you see, it is like this. I need to cover up that I murdered Grindelwald, and your dear husband is crucial in my ploy. He shall disguise himself as Gellert, and then we will make our way to Nurmengard, where he will spend the rest of his life in prison." He explained cheerfully. "But do not worry, I will always remember the sacrifice, after all this is for the Greater Good." He mused, and lifted his wand, casting a Sleeping spell on the woman._

 _Hugo stood there frozen in shock. He would never see his child grow up. He would never make love to his wife again, he would never hold her again, he would never feel her warmth ever again, all because he insisted they come for a walk today, 'It's good for the baby.' he said. What an unbelievable fool he was._

" _Snap out of it man, and kiss your wife." Albus sighed, and watched as Hugo leaned down to gently cradle her in his arms, whispering words of forgotten promises, and declarations of tender feelings. It was all way too tiresome to the wizard._

" _That is enough." He said firmly, and tucked a portkey on the woman, whisking her away to his home to Obliviate and take care of her later. "She is not your responsibility anymore." He warned, and turned towards Gellert, lifting his body, and laying it at Hugo's feet._

" _Let us dabble in some dark blood rituals, so you look and feel like Grindelwald..." His voice trailed off, and the memory ended abruptly._

When the memory ended, only the sounds of violent heaving were audible, as Marlene and Remus emptied the contents of their breakfast on the granite floor.

"Healer Zaire, please see to it that our guests get some Calming Draught." He ordered, and sent a nondescript goblin off to acquire some refreshments.

"Certainly." Healer Zaire nodded politely, and reached into the expandable pouch hanging on his substantial waist, grabbing a handful of potions, handing a vial each to the werewolf and the witch. "Drink up!" He instructed, and stepped back.

"Thank you." McKinnon whispered faintly, as her shaking dimmed somewhat. "I never thought-" Her lips quivered, and she broke out in tears. Dumbledore was someone she highly respected, to see him do such unthinkable things frightened her.

"I-" Remus swallowed some bile. "I apologize for offending your integrity, Griphook." He turned to the short goblin. "I never-" He whispered, and shook his head, as if that would make those images fade away from his mind's eye.

Griphook nodded. "Very well, I accept your apology." He muttered, partly because he was feeling a little bit sorry for the humans at the moment, which he never thought he would ever feel like. "Do you need further proof, Mr. Lupin?" He asked bitingly, because he did hold the slightest bit of a grudge towards anyone who ever questioned his honesty.

Remus shook his head rapidly. "No. No further proof needed, I believe you."

The goblin nodded, and they agreed to give a few minutes to the humans to gather themselves, before they discussed the security breach, and found a way to circumvent the mind control, and break the oath.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, that was... icky. I am so shocked at this Dumbledore, who pretty much just written himself to be sicker than Voldemort. And it will only get worse, so much worse. But, I am pausing here, because I cannot handle more right now.

I hope the chapter was worth the wait. I will try to update more frequently. Thank you for your patience!


	12. The Fallout Pt 2 - Mind Thy Life

Marlene took a couple of shallow breaths to calm herself. Her mind was reeling with so many questions, not to mention that her body was shaking, even after swallowing the Calming Draught that the goblins so kindly provided for her and Remus.

She could not believe what they witnessed. Albus Dumbledore was the last person on this Earth, whom she would have ever suspected to have so much darkness in him. It just did not make sense at all. He was always so serene, all-knowing, and kind, like a gentle elderly grandfather. He exuded this aura of power, and she believed him to be almost omniscient. He was often likened to the legendary sorcerer, Merlin, by their society, and he was borderline worshiped by witches and wizards alike.

 _How could she possibly process this piece of evidence to the contrary of everything she believed to be true about the Headmaster?_

She gulped and spoke. "I-, I c-can't do t-this." She stammered, her voice slightly shaky. "I have a luncheon appointment with the H-headmaster to discuss the Potter will. H-he-, h-he made it seem like h-he was merely too busy to attend. I don't remember anything else, b-but I have this urge to go to h-him and tell h-him everything I know."

The Director and Healer Zaire shared a worried glance.

"Would you permit me to scan your mind to assess the extent of the control he inflicted upon your person?" Healer Zaire asked politely.

"Please." Marlene agreed, swallowing her nerves.

The large goblin nodded, and stepped directly in front of the trembling witch, drawing a half circle motion near both of her temples. He closed his eyes, muttering a silent incantation, that was so long, that it took five minutes for him to cast the detection spell.

What he saw inside her mind made him almost gasp. _Almost, but not quite._ It was unbecoming of a goblin to show such blatant surprise, thus he controlled his emotions and looked around. He surmised that Miss McKinnon was not the brightest tool in the shed, and she was extremely pliable to another's will, a prime candidate to be controlled by another.

He was alarmed about the amount of blockages, cracks and tendrils connected to Dumbledore's magical signature, that he discovered. Some of them were older than others, but it was plain to see that the witch was under the Headmaster's sinister thumb, ever since she arrived at Hogwarts.

Zaire paled slightly when he attempted to unblock and unravel the damage on her mind-scape. He hastily withdrew, his eyes wide and slightly panicked, which was unbecoming of his kind.

He glanced towards Ragnok, who raised an eyebrow, and spoke. "I am afraid it is not possible to remove Dumbledore's machinations from Miss McKinnon's psyche, they simply go far too deep. The earliest trace of his signature that I have found can be dated back as early as when she was merely eleven years old." He grunted with a frown.

Marlene's eyes widened slightly, and her trembling increased. Remus, who was listening quietly, stepped forward and looped an arm around her protectively. He was absolutely furious at the audacity of the Headmaster, even though he was having an inner battle about his character all the same. It was hard to match the person who graciously allowed him and his furry little problem to attend his school and looked out for his well-being, with a manipulating, murderous puppeteer.

"What can be done to protect Miss McKinnon from further attempts at controlling her mind and actions?" He asked cautiously, Marlene nodding her grateful approval at asking this important question, when she was unable to do so.

Director Ragnok peered at the humans and sighed. "Mind Control is a vastly difficult and dangerous area of expertise, and unfortunately Albus Dumbledore is a Master of the Arts, furthermore his experiments into the field of Alchemy are most alarming, especially when combined with the Mind Arts. I am afraid there is not much we can do about this, as he not only has a back door to Miss McKinnon's mind, but the traces of his magical signature further aid him in controlling her."

Marlene paled. "H-how can I p-possibly have lunch with h-him with all this knowledge, and without b-being able to p-protect myself?" She choked. She was angry and terrified of what was to come. She was not built for drama and subterfuge.

Griphook frowned. "You must act the part, Miss McKinnon, to do anything else would have disastrous consequences." He told her plainly.

Remus scowled. "How could she possibly _"act the part"_ , when she is so obviously terrified of the thought of even appearing in front of him? She is not built for this. She always wore her heart on her sleeve, so unless something is done, this is simply not an option. We cannot throw her to him unprepared, who knows what else he would do." He ranted, anger rolling off of him in waves. He had a strong instinct to protect Marlene, and protect her he will, even if he was playing with fire.

Eanraig twitched, his hand itching to wield his trusty blade and run this irritating hybrid of human and wolf through with it, but a cold stare from The Director reigned his murderous inclinations in. It would not do to anger his boss after all. Only the furious scowl on his face told of his intentions.

"I understand your concern, Mr. Lupin." He said soothingly. "With permission, we would be able to suppress the recollection of this meeting, and implant some fake memories, which she could then relay to the Headmaster." He murmured solemnly, and turned to look at the witch. "While we are not equipped to break his control, we would suggest that you take your Potter inheritance and leave Britain. Dumbledore never had any designs on foreign countries, and you would be out of the danger zone." He hummed.

The witch and wizard stared at him, slack-jawed.

"W-well-" Miss McKinnon cleared her throat. "I always wanted to o-own a s-small shop somewhere, I s-suppose it doesn't matter where it is." She swallowed, squared her shoulders, and looked at the imposing goblin leader straight in the eyes. "I grant you permission to suppress my recollection of this meeting, and I would like to ask that you also plant a nudge for me to leave the country, and stay away from the H-headmaster. I d-don't necessarily wish to remember all that I know about h-him now, but I want to be away from h-his manipulations, and I am taking my little brother with me." She said with determination gleaming in her eyes.

Remus was disheartened that she would be leaving the country without any memories of this meeting, however he understood her worries and reasoning, and he wished for her safety, even though he desired to be selfish and keep her company, however that was vastly unlikely now. He frowned to himself and shook his head. He had no right to desire anything, much less desire such a beautiful and innocent witch. It would probably be for the best that she would be leaving Britain, as he would have made a fool of himself otherwise with his advances.

"Very well, it shall be done." Ragnok nodded, and ordered a nondescript goblin to escort Master Goldmind to their location, as the wise elderly goblin was the most skilled with the Mind Arts, and they needed his expertise to pull this off.

Master Goldmind was the eldest and wisest goblin scholar in the Goblin Nation. Whenever the goblins were seeking knowledge lost or forgotten to them, they sought his wisdom and guidance. Goldmind was also the most efficient practitioner of the goblin version of Legilimency, thus his aid was necessary to implement the required alterations to Miss McKinnon's mind-scape.

A secret door materialized on one of the marble walls, and two goblin guards escorted a pale coloured, almost completely white goblin robed in the finest golden fabrics, holding a peculiar meld of wood and crystal object shaped into a _sort of staff_ , but since it was punishable by Wizarding law for goblins, or other sentient magical beings to wield wands, or staves, the unique object most certainly was _not_ any of those.

"Master Goldmind, what an honour to be in your presence." Ragnok bowed politely, as to do anything else would have been great offense, even if he technically ranked higher than him. "We require your vast experience in the field of the Mind Arts for this young witch's aid."

"Director Ragnok, the honour is all mine." He returned the greeting in kind, with a bow of his own. His pale eyebrows furrowed as his eyes trained on the witch and the obviously hybrid wizard. His nostrils flared at the scent of musky earth after the rain, which clearly meant that he was part wolf. He scowled. "With all due respect, why would we come to their aid, Director? Witches and wizards are known to disrespect, belittle and humiliate our kind. So again, I ask, why would this witch be any different?" He echoed. His slanted eyes had a golden hue about them, and he looked every inch a sentient magical creature demanding respect. Even Ragnok did not have the aura that he was exuding at that moment.

Marlene and Remus were stunned at the vicious tone of the goblin, and even though they did not like it, they had to admit that he was right. The Wizarding world was cruel even to their own kind, if they were anything less than a Pureblood. It was wrong, but that is how they grew up, thus they accepted it.

They remained quiet, their gazes rooted to the ground, lest they would offend Master Goldmind further. They sensed the situation for what it was: if they wanted help from this established goblin, they better remain humble and quiet, and Remus had to reign his temper in, because if he as much as uttered a single angry word, they would be in a world of deep trouble.

Director Ragnok invited Master Goldmind to take a seat, and took the next twenty minutes to explain the situation at hand, starting with the tragic woes of _The Boy Who Lived_ , and continuing on, outlining everything that happened in the past couple of days.

To say that Master Goldmind was shocked and horrified would be an understatement. He was absolutely disgusted by Dumbledore's actions against a mere child. In their society children were rare, and as such they were considered the highest gift _Fate_ could bestow upon any mated pair. With a sigh he realized that The Director would treat this situation especially seriously, as he was one of the few who knew of his tribulations with getting his mate blessed with bearing a goblet under her heart.

He looked at the witch speculatively, and taking in her tense state, he came to a decision. "Very well. Considering that the circumstances are so dire and need delicate handling, I will assist you in your endeavours, but let's not make a habit of this. You need to realize how privileged you are to even be in my own, not to mention The Director's presence. I hope you will not abuse this opportunity."

The slightly out of sorts witch seemed to have found her voice. "I am h-humbled by y-your presence, Master Goldmind." She stammered. "I apologize for the atrocities that my kind had inflicted upon y-you. I am honoured that y-you decided to come to my aid, even if I don't p-particularly deserve it. I never meant to inconvenience y-you."

Goldmind was surprised at the witch's sincerity, and glanced at The Director, who seemed to be smug. He inwardly snarled at that, but he wouldn't publicly disrespect his superior for acting in such a way. "Very well. Let's move on, shall we?" He suggested, and urged McKinnon to stand up, staring at her inquisitively for a while.

He sought her permission, and received a curt nod as confirmation, before diving into her damaged psyche, looking around completely shocked by the state her mind was in. He also attempted to do a little bit of damage control, to no avail. Dumbledore certainly did a number on her mind, if even he was not able to help.

He switched his focus from trying to sort the mess, to altering her recollection of this meeting, and planting the discussed memories, the unexplainable need to keep away from the Headmaster, and the nudge to move aboard with her family.

Once he did everything he could, honouring his promises, he withdrew from her mind. "It is done." He said with an air of finality about him, and glanced at the werewolf. "I trust that I do not need to do you any favours, wolf."

Remus caught the witch before she fainted, and his jaw tightened at the goblin's biting quip. He bit his tongue before he could insult him though. He learned his lesson from offending Griphook, and he was merely an Account Head. It would not do to offend a goblin Master.

"Thank you for helping Miss McKinnon, Master Goldmind." He muttered with a leveled voice, and the goblin snorted with amusement, knowing full well the werewolf was struggling with his spirit.

He merely nodded in acknowledgement, facing Ragnok once more. "I must take my leave, Director. We have much to discuss later, please join me at your earliest convenience at my premises." He bowed.

Ragnok bowed in kind. "Thank you for your assistance, Master Goldmind. I shall adhere to your request at the earliest opportunity."

The same goblin guards escorted the Master goblin back to his residence, leaving the room to its discussion. They have dealt with the situation of the McKinnon witch, but that was only a small part, as they still had to tackle Lupin's situation, and then he had much to discuss with Griphook. He was growing to trust the Head of the Potter Accounts immensely.

Marlene came to her senses, still secured in Lupin's arms, thoroughly confused by her position. The last thing she remembered was accepting her inheritance, and being escorted to this room to officially claim it.

"Have you eaten today yet, Miss McKinnon?" Griphook nonchalantly asked. "Low blood sugar can cause fainting episodes." He said, not unkindly.

She untangled herself from Remus' arms, blushing something fierce. "I am sorry for falling on you, Remus." She said softly, turning towards the goblin teller. "Well, I don't usually eat breakfast, so you must be right. I apologize for the inconvenience."

"Don't worry about it, Miss McKinnon." The goblin answered, and gestured towards the nondescript teller. "Please follow our teller, and he will help you with everything you need."

Marlene glanced at the occupants of the room, blushed deeper out of sheer embarrassment, and left in a hurry.

"Well, wasn't that delightful." Eanraig quipped with a sarcastic snarl. He was in a right mood. He absolutely despised humans, especially wand-wielding ones.

The Director looked at his young guard exasperatedly. "You are especially irritable today, Eanraig. Please relax your stance a tad, no one is getting hurt today." He drawled dryly.

"My apologies, Director Ragnok." He grunted, folding his arms with a sneer.

The imposing goblin leader had chosen to ignore him, and turned towards the werewolf. "Now we have to discuss your situation. My question is what kind of oath did Dumbledore have you swear?"

Remus hummed, attempting to recall the wording of the oath. "Basically it was an oath lasting for forty-eight hours, wherein I swore not to disclose any information he shared about the predicament of Sirius and Harry, and I promised to share with him anything I have learned concerning them."

Ragnok chuckled darkly. "Well, as it is, your situation is nowhere near as critical as Miss McKinnon's. It is obvious that he merely wanted information about the will reading, whilst offering intelligence that is not confidential at all."

The lycanthroph nodded. "I cannot tell you what he told me about them all the same." He choked, as he struggled to voice what they talked about.

The tall goblin snarled. "That much is obvious, Mr. Lupin." He was incensed by the werewolf's behaviour, he really seemed like someone who held two personalities, rather than one. On one hand he was polite, on the other he was almost biting their heads off with his temper. It was exhausting. "I assume that he requested your presence sometime in the two day interval of your oath?"

Remus' eyes widened with yet another realization. "Yes-, that bloody infuriating old man did suggest that we meet up for lunch. I guess that he will eat twice today." He snorted, his knuckles white from all the pressure he was putting on his nails violating his palms.

"Very well. I trust you know to keep this discussion in your confidence, Mr. Lupin." Griphook said with authority. "Your inheritance will be placed in a new vault the Potters requested for your use, if you follow me, I will get you all set up with the paperwork."

He merely nodded, and bowed to the Goblin Leader and his guards in respect, and followed the Head of the Potter Accounts out the door. He was revolted by everything he learned this morning, yet he had so many questions swirling around in his head that needed answers.

Answers that he knew he would not get from Albus Dumbledore...

~oo~oOo~oo~

Albus Dumbledore was giddy with the knowledge that soon enough he would have the upper hand again. His trusty pawns would spill their guts about everything he wanted to know, and he could plan his next move.

The Headmaster twirled around in front of his mirror, admiring his reflection. His purple robes were decorated with delicate golden star embroidery, created from the finest fabrics available, and lined with pure Acromantula silk. He thought he looked mighty fine, much like a good wine, getting better and better with old age.

" _Oh Gellert, if only you were still here._ " He sighed wistfully, regretting that his old flame could not see the world his way. They truly could have been quite the pair.

Never mind though, he still had Filius. He would surely succumb to his charms.

He turned around and stroked Fawkes tenderly. "What do you think, old friend? Do I look marvelous today, or do I look marvelous today?" He asked jovially, his eyes twinkling with what the phoenix thought was madness. He glanced at his wizard, whose aura was getting darker by the day, and stared into his bright blue eyes with such sadness, that Dumbledore looked away.

He sulkily grumbled under his breath, as he disliked when Fawkes looked at him like that. He had to give the fire bird credit though. He diligently tried to make him see reason in his own way, but it was ridiculous to assume a bird knew better than he did, even if it was a legendary magical bird.

He sighed, and called for his elf.

"Sippy!" He murmured.

"Master needs Sippy? What cans Sippy do for youse?" She squeaked excitedly.

"I need you to arrange lunch for four. I will eat twice today, each time with a different guest, so I require a completely different menu for each occasion." He instructed. "Let's see-, for my luncheon with Miss McKinnon, I would like you to prepare something light. You know how young ladies are these days..." He chuckled to himself.

"Miss Kinny will find her foods tasty, sir." Sippy bobbed her head up and down.

"Yes, quite." He agreed. "For my meal with young Remus, we need something heartier, something with more meat, considering his, ah-, _delicate condition_." He trailed off.

"Youse Wolfy will get lots of meat, Master." She confirmed, and popped away with haste to do as her gracious Headmaster ordered her to do, blissful that she could serve him.

Albus smiled fondly at the eagerness of house-elves, and sat behind his desk to await his first guest. He did not have to wait too long, because an hour later his fireplace flared with bright green flames, and Marlene McKinnon had toppled out of the hearth.

"Ah, Miss McKinnon, what a delightful surprise." He said tenderly, his excitement bubbling forth to the surface, but he figured the witch would be honoured that he was so happy to see her.

"Headmaster-" Marlene said hesitantly, as she pushed herself up from the floor. "Sorry for my tardiness."

"Don't worry about it my dear!" He chuckled, and gestured towards a comfortable setting of a sofa, two plush armchairs, and a smaller table between the seatings. "Let us get comfortable, and I will call for our flavourful fare."

The witch nodded politely, and sat down on the sofa, fiddling with her fingers nervously. For some reason that she could not explain, she was feeling extremely uneasy around the Headmaster, and she could not wait to be away from him, only these sentiments did not make sense to her.

Dumbledore of course noticed her odd behaviour. "Are you alright, Miss McKinnon?" He asked genuinely concerned. She seemed different, and that alarmed him.

"I am fine, sir." She said stiffly, which was not convincing in the least.

"Alright." He hummed, and did a light probe on her mind, growing suspicious, as whilst he was scanning the surface of her thoughts, he noticed a touch of foreign magic, which made him feel incredibly irate. He decided to examine this further, but figured that they could enjoy their food first.

He subtly withdrew and smiled at her. "Sippy!" He called for his trusty elf. "Please serve our wondrous meal." He asked, and the elf snapped her fingers, and a mighty feast appeared on the table. Soft cheeses with elf-made wine, fried chicken strips with brown rice and a condiment of spices, fresh green salad, and a large serving of cherry pie, with lemon meringue materialized out of thin air.

Marlene's eyes sparkled with awe at the sight. She had some of the cheese, with a few gulps of wine, and sighed with satisfaction. "This is absolutely delicious." She mumbled, momentarily forgetting her nerves.

"I couldn't agree more, my dear." Albus chimed heartily, sipping on the wine, and subtly leading their conversation to what he wanted to know. "How was your day so far, Miss McKinnon?" He inquired.

The witch stiffened. "Exhausting. I went to Gringotts to attend the Potter will reading." She choked with tears in her eyes. "Lily and James left me some galleons to achieve my dream that they knew about, ever since we had become friends." She swallowed hard, picking at her chicken and rice.

Dumbledore nodded encouragingly. "That was very generous of them to support your dreams. The Potters were good people, it is such a shame that they are no longer with us." He sighed forlornly, acting the part of a wounded grandparent. "May I ask what else happened?"

She furrowed her eyebrows, thinking hard. "Of course, you may, but I am not entirely sure. We had to leave when they completed reading the paragraph pertaining to us." She explained.

The elderly wizard scowled, but quickly masked his facial features. "I see. May I ask who else was there at the reading? It is such a shame I was too busy to attend."

She hummed. "Well, there was Remus, obviously. Then there was Madame Longbottom in lieu of Alice and Frank. I saw Selene Lovegood, Dorcas Meadows, Emmeline Vance, and Andromeda and Ted Tonks. I believe I spotted Amelia Bones-" She murmured, and Dumbledore's heart stopped for a second. "And I believe the only other attendants I saw were Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick with his daughter, Fiona." She recalled the occupants of the room.

 _The usual suspects_ , Dumbledore thought to himself, although he was alarmed about Amelia's presence at the reading. _Whatever did she possibly have to do with the Potters?_ He had no knowledge about any relation, other than being the boss of James. _But why would you leave anything for your boss?_ That was bizarre, and a bit of a food for thought, because it could prove disastrous and troublesome in the future.

"Thank you, Miss McKinnon, you were most helpful." He smiled at her kindly, and when she finished eating a piece of delicious pie, he cast a non-verbal _Somnus_ spell on her, causing her to fall to a deep sleep.

"Sippy!" He called for the enthusiastic elf once again.

"Master called Sippy?"

"Indeed. Please remove the remnants of our meal at once, and make sure that no one can bother me, unless I specifically grant permission for them to enter."

"Sippy is happy to serve the great Master." She squeaked, and cleared away the food, popping back to doing her other general chores.

Dumbledore turned his attention back to the slumbering witch, and forcefully entered her mind, specifically scanning for the foreign magic that he noticed before, scowling when he realized it was a subtle and incredibly skillful bit of memory suppression.

He chanted a few incredibly complex spells and enchantments, breaking the override spell, mentally tipping his hat off to the goblins, as if he was not a _true_ Master of the Arts, he would not have been able to undo their counter-measures, _but he was not likened to Merlin for no reason_.

Once he unraveled their suppression, he withdrew from Marlene's mind, and pointed his wand against her temple, muttering a spell to remove the memory for his viewing, reaching for his _Pensieve_.

He was shocked beyond belief once he came back to reality, and summoned a bottle of Ogden's finest, pouring a gobletful of whiskey, and gulping it down in one swell swig. He could not believe that the goblins had all that information at their disposal. He could not believe that they were aware that Gellert was actually dead. He could not process that Lupin and McKinnon now knew about one of his darkest acts, even though it was completely necessary.

 _He was panicking._

He did not care that the goblins knew about this, because obviously for some reason they never revealed this information, and even if they did, _who would believe a goblin?_ It would only paint them in a bad light, if they were to slander the Great Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.

 _Who would dare defame his shiny character? Any such attempt would be social suicide._

Yet again, if a respected member of society was to open their mouth, people would stop to think. McKinnon came from a well-respected pureblood family. Some, especially his enemies would listen to her. _He could not allow that._

"I am sorry, Miss McKinnon, truly sorry, but I cannot allow you to breathe a word of this to anyone. Memories can be returned, with great effort, but it is not impossible, thus with a heavy heart-, I bid you farewell." He whispered regretfully, raising his wand.

" _Avada Kedavra!_ " He delivered the _Killing Curse_ , the green light striking her chest, instantly stopping her heart.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, I bet you weren't expecting _that_. Honestly, I did not expect it either. It was one of those tiny evil ideas that won't leave your mind, until you write about it. I had a lot more to write in this chapter, however, I believe this is a perfect spot to stop.

I have something important to say: The Albus Dumbledore in this story is definitely the foulest, darkest, most revolting, most incredibly misguided creature that I have ever written about. I don't know why this happened, because I actually don't dislike his character, but writing an evil Albus is _such fun_ , that I can't even begin to describe it. I apologize if my portrayal of his character offends anyone, because that is not my aim, however if that is the case, please find another story to read, because things are only going to get darker, and there are plenty of amazing authors out there who write about good Dumbledore.

I would also like to state that Dumbledore's moves and plans won't always be stopped. He will have victories, and our heroes are going to have losses, because even though I enjoy stories where Harry and Hermione and their allies are all-knowing and powerful and able to halt Albus' machinations, I would like to write something more realistic, even if his portrayal is intensely villainous.

I hope the chapter was worth the wait. The Fallout will definitely have a third installment, where I will try including some baby Harry and Flitwick family moments, if my muse lets me.

Thank you for reading, and I appreciate your patience in waiting for the chapter. I have so many stories that I am writing simultaneously, which is why I am updating so sporadically, plus sometimes life gets in the way.

I would also like to wish you a belated Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Lexy


	13. The Fallout Pt 3 - Consequences

Albus hurriedly cast a _Stasis Charm_ on the fallen witch to preserve her body, because he knew that he had to deal with his cover-up later, as he had an appointment with young Remus. He glowered at the thought, throwing an activated Portkey on McKinnon, transporting her to the dungeons of Dumbledore Manor, which only he had access to.

Meanwhile Fawkes had broken out of his stunned stupor, screeching violently, sinking his talons into the old wizard's face with fervor, pecking his wrinkled skin with disgust. He was revolted by the wizard's behaviour, and he was abhorred to find that he still could not break their bond, the blood magic having a tight leash on the feathered creature.

"Calm yourself you crazy bird!" Albus yelped in pain, flicking his wrist, forcefully knocking the phoenix away from his face with a jolt of magic. "I know you disapprove, but this had to be done for the _Greater Good..._ " He scowled at his familiar. "I really wish you would not argue with me about my methods-, one would think phoenixes were peaceful creatures." He grumbled.

Fawkes stared at him sorrowfully, and flashed out of his office to roam the skies of the Hogwarts ground. He technically could not leave the premises thanks to his Master's _Hocus-Pocus_ that he tied him to himself with, but the Dark Forest, and the fields within the Hogwarts wards weren't off limits.

He flew into the heart of the forest, perching on one of the branches of a yew tree, that was cleverly hidden by the surrounding shrubbery. He trilled a heartbreaking melody, and the leader of the local Centaur herd answered to his call.

"Greetings my feathered friend." Magorian murmured softly, and held out one of his arms for the sad phoenix to land on.

Fawkes trilled in kind, and gently nuzzled his centaur friend's cheek.

"What had the old coot done this time?" The stargazer inquired, and the red and golden coloured bird pressed the crown of his feathers to his forehead to open a mental link between the two, flashing the memory directly into his mind.

Magorian's eyes hardened at what the phoenix showed him. His herd was aware for the longest time that the Headmaster was not a representation of Light Magic, because the stars have showed them his true colours, but they were not informed that he did not think twice about murdering someone.

Fawkes was trilling a disheartening melody, relaying his depressed sorrow about being unable to fly free.

The centaur looked at the legendary magical bird tenderly. "Never fear, my feathered friend, the Stars are shining bright over the horizon for you. The brightest of them all shall free you from the weight of your curse, and you will have free will and choice once more." He stroked his feathers gently, and smiled.

For the first time in what felt like forever, the beautiful phoenix's heart was soaring with hope again. He could not wait to meet the person who would free him from his prison. He trilled thankfully to Magorian, and when he flew back towards the castle, he left one of his tail feathers behind as a token of his gratitude and affection.

Albus was exasperated at the behaviour of his phoenix and scowled, shaking his head. He did not have time to deal with the bird at the moment though. He needed to get ready for his meeting with Lupin, and decide how to handle him. He did not necessarily want to permanently silence another person today, but he would do whatever was required.

While he waited for his guest, he quickly cast a plethora of innocuous charms and spells to cover up his use of an _Unforgivable Curse_. It was ridiculously easy to make one's wand seem uninvolved in a criminal situation, if one was aware of the loopholes, and Albus Dumbledore made it _his business_ to know each and every escape clause, and use them to his benefit. To do otherwise would be incredibly artless.

Once he was satisfied, he tucked his wand into an invisible holster that was secured across his left inner arm, and flopped down on one of the arm-chairs, softly whistling his favourite tune. He had to take his mind off the McKinnon witch, because if he was honest with himself, he was uncomfortable with what he did, as he was under the influence of alcohol, and his judgement might have been slightly clouded, and he acted on cold dread alone, without thinking about the possible consequences.

Albus knew that he could make the situation seem like it was done by someone else, but all the same, he did not want to act so hastily with the werewolf, thus he needed to calm down. He sighed, and reached over into the ornate golden bowl that held his favourite muggle candy, plopping a few into his mouth, sucking on them with pleasure.

He did not have much time to contemplate his actions, or construct a plan of response, as the fireplace flared once more with bright green flames, and Remus Lupin stepped out, his form stiff and his face strangely impassive, which was very unlike him. It was clear that he was forcing himself to appear calm and collected, but the Headmaster knew the truth.

"Ah, my dear Remus!" He greeted him cheerfully. "How are you on this fine day, my friend?" He asked kindly, but in truth his tone held a subtle mocking undertone, that he wasn't sure he would catch.

Lupin struggled with keeping a straight face. "I've just come from Gringotts." He hummed, and sat on the chair opposite Dumbledore. "How has your day been so far, Headmaster? "

"It has been quite an eventful morning. I had some _matters_ to settle." He vaguely answered. "What business did you have at Gringotts, my dear boy?"

Remus was simmering with so many layers of anger, that he was unsure how long he could keep his facial features on the straight and narrow. "I attended the Potter will reading, as you already know." He frowned.

"Yes, well-" He grimaced in kind. This conversation was going as _well_ as it was expected, strained beyond belief. "How about a spot of lunch?" Albus suggested to distract from the obvious tension.

Lupin nodded his consent, and Dumbledore called for Sippy's assistance once again. The elf did not even appear, just delivered the mouthwatering display of tasty cuisine. She prepared them some bite-sized appetizers, which consisted of baby vegetables dipped in melted cheese, and a little bit of elf-made wine. She cooked two enormous steaks for the wizards, with a side of French fries, and a selection of various sauces and spices they could add to their meal. Finally, for dessert, she baked a gorgeous chocolate cake.

They ate in complete silence, which was not how they usually spent their time together.

"Remus-" Dumbledore chimed, before hesitating slightly.

"Yes, Headmaster?" He echoed, glancing at the elderly wizard.

"I hope that you will keep _certain, ah-, findings_ confidential." He remarked nonchalantly.

The werewolf blanched at the realization that Albus somehow found out about the discussion they had undertaken at Gringotts. He was reeling with all the possibilities, but he eventually surmised that the only way he could have known was if he scanned Marlene's mind.

All the colour drained from his face at the thought. He pulled out his wand and cast his Patronus to send her way, but the silver Wolf merely looked at him as if confused about the instruction. He repeated the spell, only to get the same results.

Dumbledore was part amused at the werewolf's frantic antics, and part alarmed at how bad this situation could go.

"Whatever are you doing, my boy?" He raised an eyebrow.

Lupin's jaw tightened and his knuckles where white from the sheer pressure of clenching his fists together. " _Where_ _is Miss McKinnon, Headmaster?_ " He asked, his voice like icy wind had frozen the air between them.

Dumbledore painfully underestimated the Marauder's intelligence. He should have considered that if he alluded to anything, he would figure out that the only possible source of information available to him was the witch. He subtly released his wand to his hand, all hidden under the long sleeve of his cloak.

He raised a silver brow. "Why would it be my business to know where Miss McKinnon might be?" He asked.

Remus' eyes hardened. "Because I know for a fact that she had a lunch appointment with you. _She told me_." He drawled. "You must be stuffed with all this food by now, having extra servings of lunch..." He quipped sarcastically. He usually was not a terribly brave man, but his wolf was very close to the surface, as it was nearing the full moon. His eyes flashed with a striking amber colour, his other half giving him courage beyond what he would usually possess.

Dumbledore was shocked at his audacity, and he was growing alarmed when he noticed the change in Lupin's eye colour. He decided to play things slowly, and with a level head. "Even if she briefly visited me, which I don't see how it would be any of your business Remus, why would it be my responsibility to keep track of her movement? Surely, you are able to see how ridiculous that sounds." He sighed serenely.

"You know- "He took a deep breath. "The really interesting part is that my _Patronus_ could not find her, which is _curious_ , as _Patroni_ always find their target no matter where they are. As you are no doubt aware, the _Patronus Charm_ is the materialization of pure positive energy, thus _Patroni_ are able to visit any destination, even if their target is under the _Fidelius Charm_." He ranted.

Albus drew in a sharp breath. This was going to end badly. "Is there a point to your mindless lecture on the very charm that I had taught you myself?" He mused, his posture stiff with tension.

"Indeed." He pressed on, grasping his wand under the cover of his robes. "The only viable reason for the confusion of my _Patronus_ is that Marlene McKinnon is dead." He voiced his theory.

Albus Dumbledore drew himself to his entire height, his gaze hardened. "Are you accusing me of murdering a member of my Order?" He challenged.

Remus trembled slightly under the power the older wizard exuded, but held his ground. "Yes, _yes I am._ "

"Now, why would I commit such a disgraceful act, Mr. Lupin?" He inquired, staring into the werewolf's eyes, which held so much loathing, that he was certain Remus was convinced that he murdered McKinnon. "Also, please indulge my curiosity, if you will." He paused, and his lips twitched with momentary amusement. "Why would you interrogate a person, whom you suspect has no qualms murdering a fellow witch, or wizard? Are you barmy, my dear boy?" He asked in a condescending tone, shaking his head, like he was discussing detention with a misbehaving student.

The sandy haired man grasped his wand tighter, and let out a shallow breath. "I can tell that you know what went down at Gringotts, it's obvious. I am not nearly as unobservant as people assume I am, not to mention your sarcastic undertone you greeted me with." He snorted, ignoring his biting remarks about his mental faculties.

"Very well. I have to admit I underestimated you, Remus." He shrugged. "Well, it doesn't really matter now, does it?" He chuckled darkly, pointing his wand at the werewolf, merely twirling it around, like he did not have a care in the world.

"I suppose not." He replied curtly, muttering a non-verbal _Disarming Spell_ that had caught the Headmaster unawares, his wand flying into his able hands. He felt a sudden rush of power, and without really knowing _why_ , he stepped forward and simply gave the wand back to him. "So, are you going to kill me too, Albus?" He asked.

The Headmaster watched with masked horror in his eyes as the _Elder Wand_ switched loyalties. This was not good, _was not good at all_ , especially because the werewolf just handed his wand right back to him before he could disarm him himself. _Darn werewolf._

"I never said I killed Miss McKinnon, my boy." He murmured with an exasperated sigh. There was no way he was going to admit it outright. He was smarter than that.

" _Ri-i-i-ight_." He snorted, rolling his eyes. "Well, if you are not going to murder me, how are you going to play this? _Imperius? Memory Charms?_ Oh, _w-a-a-a-it a second_ , you can't inflict control on a werewolf. Who would have thought there were benefits to turning into a bloody monster once a month..." He sneered.

The Headmaster was seeing a completely different side to Remus Lupin, and as much as he was infuriating him, he was attracted to his sass. He chuckled softly. "Despite our obvious, _ah-, differences..._ " He paused. "I quite like you, my dear boy, which is why I could never hurt you. It wounds me that you think I would do something so _unthinkable_." He muttered, and Remus looked at him with sheer disbelief. "No, we shall take a walk down memory lane to your Fifth Year... _Does some sad, unfortunate incident ring a bell, perhaps?_ "

Lupin stiffened in his seat. "Ah, we are going with _blackmail_ then." He stated nonchalantly. "I should have expected that, even though I was not a willing participant in that particular stunt against Snape."

"You see, that does not matter in the slightest. I can ruin you with a couple of well-whispered words into the right ears. You could have a one-way ticket to Azkaban." Dumbledore clarified.

"I see." Remus muttered darkly. He knew that if he valued his freedom, which he did, he would have to keep quiet about everything that he knew, or suspected. He scowled.

"I knew you would see things my way, my boy." The Headmaster chimed tenderly, and sipped on his wine. "Now, how about a delicious slice of chocolate cake? No reason to waste such an exquisite dessert..."

~oo~oOo~oo~

Sirius was in his Animagus form, laying on the dirty stone ground of his prison cell, contemplating his misery. He was such an incredibly idiotic fool for going after Pettigrew on his own, and leaving baby Harry to his own devices.

 _What kind of Godfather was he to abandon his godson to the impulse of revenge?_

The large black dog whined regretfully, as he mentally scolded himself over and over again. He was a sanctimonious arsehole. Not only did he recklessly chase down the rat and bumped into trouble head first, but he also disregarded how his actions would effect his fiancée.

Amy was no doubt cursing his name and his sheer idiocy, and he would not be surprised if she hexed him into oblivion when he got out of here. Well, _if_ he got out of here... For some reason there was no movement around his cell at all, apart from the occasional Dementor coming for a _pleasant_ visit.

That is why he was in his animal form. They did not have as dreadful an effect on him as a dog, as they would otherwise.

He curled his body into a tight ball of fur and tail, and continued his self-deprecating thoughts.

~oo~oOo~oo~

Amelia Bones was taking a temporary break from inwardly reprimanding her birdbrained fiancé, as her ire was solely focused on Cornelius Fudge and the Ministry.

Her mind was still reeling from the information she unexpectedly come upon at Gringotts. In the past few hours she had attempted to convince Barty that she had reasonable evidence to the fact that Sirius Black was innocent, but her claim was shrugged off.

She might have earned the title of Head Auror on paper, but in all actuality all the power was still in Crouch's hand. Her promotion was more of a publicity stunt, an act of good will to show that the Ministry nurtures talent, and respects the old family lines.

The Bones family was an old Pureblood line, and as such, she was respected more than she would be, if she was born as a Half-Blood, however their society favoured wizards over witches, thus she had to deal with a lot of gender generated prejudices and obstacles. It was completely exhausting.

"But, Minister-" She took a deep breath. "I have confidential information concerning the innocence of Sirius Black, and I am convinced that if he was administered _Veritaserum_ , he would be pardoned at once." She stated firmly, her hands clutching the edge of his desk.

Cornelius frowned. Even if he personally would have been inclined to grant her request for a fair trial, his hands were tied by those more powerful than he.

"Madame Bones, you know as well as I that the circumstances of Black's arrest were pretty straightforward. He was caught in the middle of a dozen dead muggles, wand in hand. What more proof do you need?"

"When have you become the self-titled hand of _Fate_ , Cornelius, or is it not Fate, _but other third party influences_?" Amelia asked with steel in her voice. "I was not born yesterday, Minister. I know that there are a lot of powerful individuals at play, but I will not stand for-" She sharply expanded on her thoughts, but she was interrupted.

"Now see here, _Amelia_ , I will not allow anyone accusing me of being bought." He shouted. "I do have to say though, you need to realize that this is a dog eat dog world, where not everything goes the way you would like. Please stop shoving your idealistic agenda at my face, and stop wasting my time. Justice was served, my hands are tied, and this discussion is over."

Fudge left in a whirlwind of robes, and Amelia stood in her office momentarily stunned.

" _Did that really just happen?_ " She asked herself in a whisper, banging her head against her desk.

She had her work cut out for her, if she wanted to get Sirius cleared of all charges, and she apparently had to battle the whole Ministry to achieve this goal. This would require time, and she was not sure that she had enough of it.

~oo~oOo~oo~

Once Lupin left his office, Dumbledore did not think twice about his next course of action. He grabbed a Portkey, transporting himself home, right next to the still body of Marlene McKinnon. He transfigured a piece of rubble into a comfortable chair and sat down, thinking about the best way to solve the situation.

There were several possible moves that he could make, and all had their unique benefits.

He could permanently transfigure her into some random object, and no one would be any wiser about her disappearance.

He could cast a simple and easy _Incendio_ , burning her earthly remains, but he found that option very tactless. It wouldn't do for him to do something so lackluster.

He could harvest her body for his rituals, but then he would lose out on the very tempting fourth and final option: framing the Death Eaters.

The Headmaster chuckled darkly, and briefly touched the witch, apparating into her house, where he made a fine mess of things. He shattered the windows, and the lone glass standing proudly on the coffee table, spilling the contents onto the floor. He shredded the curtains and the fabric of the sofa, and cracked the mirror that was hanging on the opposing wall, knocking over a pot of white lilies, imitating a mighty scuffle.

He was just about to strategically levitate Marlene under a partially broken table, when he heard a stifled sob. He whirled around and stared at the dead witch's little brother, who was looking back at him with wide tearful eyes.

"You killed my sister!" He accused in a shrill voice, wild magic crackling around him, knocking Albus into a wall. He was impressed by the sheer power of the boy, but it wasn't time to lament on it. He sprung to his feet with surprising agility.

" _Incarcerous!_ " He muttered, tying the boy's body, watching as the thick ropes circled around him, securing his hands to his torso, and bounding his ankles together.

"Well yes-, _you see_ , she poked her nose where it did not belong, and snuffed it." He shrugged. "But it doesn't matter, you will not remember any of this anyway." He smiled at him, caressing his soft blond locks. His hair was _so_ soft, that he sighed happily.

"You are a monster!" The boy yelled, flinching away from his touch.

"Aren't we all?" He hummed nonchalantly. "Well, as much as I am enjoying our conversation, time is of the essence here. _Obliviate!"_ He uttered, erasing this instance of his memory, gently taking the small boy to his room. He removed the ropes, and tucked him into bed, leaving to finish what he came here to do in the first place.

Once he was done, he cast the trademark spell that every Death Eater was compelled to be able to cast, even in their sleep.

" _Morsmordre!_ " He whispered, watching as the smoky vision of Voldemort's Dark Mark appeared above McKinnon Mansion, and disapparated..

* * *

 **A/N:** There we go, the final installment of _The Fallout_. I went back to writing right after posting the previous chapter, as I had a clear idea what I wanted to happen, so I wrote it quickly. I did not want to lose out on the inspiration. It was also a good distraction from my horrible cold. I haven't been this sick in ages. Everything hurts.

Anyways, writing demented Dumbledore was entertaining. I feel so sorry for the little McKinnon boy though. I will have to figure out how old he is exactly, and perhaps have him with a role to play. Hm.

Also, things should pick up now that we handled the will, and the fallout. Next chapter we will have major Harry time, and might even meet Hermione, but outside of a school setting.

Thank you for reading, and I wanted to take a moment and say how stunned I am that over a thousand of you follow this story. I appreciate the show of support, and I hope you will continue enjoying this journey with me. :)


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